Kind Campaign

When I was 10 years old I moved schools. Nothing particularly unusual about that, but what makes it particularly memorable to me is that it marked the beginning for a period in my life where I was bullied. There wasn't anything particularly 'different' about me, except that I was new and someone felt intimidated and scared that I might upset the balance of friendships and clicks. The details aren't too important. I got over it eventually, changed schools and moved on. Although the scar has long since healed, I still carry my fragile 10 year old self around with me, nursed in cotton wool, fairytales and dreams. Every now and again she gets bumped and, being a little more sensitive than she perhaps should be, I find myself having to cajole her back into good spirits by whispering sweet nothings about how wonderful being 12 or 20 is going to be.

I'd like to say that this was a childhood thing. That girls get over it. That we grow up and become independent, loving and caring women who have enough self-confidence to be content with ourselves. But we all know that isn't true. I have a colleague at work who is mean. She's a mean girl. And she is mean in a way that makes me think that she has perhaps always been mean. She's crafty and manipulative. I am younger than her and better educated. While I spent my time in school, she worked. I hoped I could learn from her experience and instead I find myself trying to untangle myself from her tricks.

Why are girls so mean? I am not immune from meanness myself. I am not only a victim. I watched my year 8 class bully a girl and said nothing because it was easier to be silent than stick up for what was right. I've said horrible things about people - often behind their backs. Once, I slapped a girl. And the question is always, why?

For a little while now I've been following the Kind Campaign on Twitter. It's a movement to stop girl-on-girl violence. Not surprisingly, it’s something I feel quite strongly about. So strongly, in fact, that I've been working on a little "photo-blog installation thingy" to help promote the campaign. There's a great little area on the Kind Campaign website where you can apologise to girls for the mean things that you've done. I've taken a few of these and some of my photos and created a few "I'm Sorry" pieces. But now I need your help.

I want your photos and I want your apologies. 

And then I want to create an international "I'm sorry" installation for the Kind Campaign. If you're interested in joining in, then I invite you (yes you!) to send a photo or an apology my way.

Any photo, any language. 

If you're embarrassed about your apology, then you're welcome to use the 'Anonymous' comments, otherwise drop me an email with an apology and/or photo. I will try to use everything that I receive, editing and compiling to have them looking something like the two examples here. All photo contributions will receive a happy credit and all apologies will be kept anonymous.

The 'photo-blog installation thingy' will "go live" while I'm holidaying in Australia. So join me in saying Sorry.  I'll be accepting submissions until the end of the month.