Thoughts after watching the movie Carrie.
One of my all time favorite horror movies is Carrie, based on Stephen King's horror novel about a girl with telekinetic powers who wreck vengeance on those who have tormented her in school. The latest remake of that 1976 movie follows pretty closely to the original with a few changes that sort of mild down the chaos and the horror. The 1976 original is still the best. I think Sissy Spacek was brilliant as the weirdo girl in school that people point at and make fun of. (Check out the link below if you haven't seen the movie.)
I'm sure people are familiar with Carrie-type characters in school. Of course, they don't usually come with telekinetic powers, but they are certainly are 'weird'. Maybe it's the way they look at people, or the way they move around or the way they dress. They are always sort of shy and quiet. They are usually alone.
Back in primary school (I was nine or so), I remember there was this girl in school who was always picked on. I never figured out why. She wasn't very pretty, she was definetly very quiet and she has a strange bloated face. She was a bit slow, at least that is how I remembered her. She wasn't in my class, but used to hear the other girls talk about how strange she looks. She didn't stay till the end of the year.
In secondary school (teenage by now), there was a girl who hung out around my clique. She was plain, not very outstanding, quite smart at studying and had strange habit of eating leftovers off other people's tray. I'm ashamed to admit now, that i did partake in making fun of her at times. Not to the extend of playing nasty pranks but I did laugh at her and made a few nasty cracks.
Come to think of it now, the girl had a lack of confidence in herself, and we were not helping. Our youthful foolishness and pride was cruel.
Why are we cruel to people who are different?
Are we afraid of them? Is it because we think we are better than them? Do we totally lack empathy?
While I was watching "Carrie", I felt angry at the popular girls for picking at Carrie, who wasn't doing anything to them in the first place. They laughed at her when she had her period - she thought she was going to die. They threw the sanitary napkins in her face. They ruined her happiness at the prom. When she finally did them all in, I felt that those kids deserved it.
And then I remember ...
Who would I have been in the Carrie movie? Probably that someone who stood around and laughed at "Carrie" for being naive and silly and weird. Although if I saw the pig's blood come down on her when she's standing up on stage, I would probably be too horrified to laugh. As my teenager self, I probably decide she shouldn't have come to the prom in the first place because she's just naive to think that the popular will let her get away with happiness.
I wouldn't think that way now, but I probably would have.
I am not that cruel teenager anymore, but I was.
I don't know what happened to those "weirdos" I used to know in school. Probably all grown up and living normal lives. And if that girl I knew in secondary school looked back and I am one of those she come to hate and despise, I wouldn't blame her at all. I'm sure she would remember and that it would have hurt. If I ever meet her again, I will want to apologise for contributing to her pain.