Nathan’s Story
Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind shines a spotlight on bullying. The installation is specifically tailored toward middle school students—often the most vulnerable. Sadly, some of these students suffer so intensely from bullying that they believe suicide is the only way to end it all.
Our intentional kindness has the potential to brighten someone’s world. Maybe kindness, love, and understanding could have helped those who committed suicide because of bullying. Here’s how Nathan used his limited resources to color someone’s life with kindness and inspire hope:
D’Mario used the f-word and flipped me off a few times; he was the only kid in our sixth-grade class I tried to avoid. D’Mario was angry at everyone, but I was his target.
During basketball season, D’Mario and I ended up on the same team. He threatened, “You better quit, or I’ll hurt you.” D’Mario used sports to get his anger out; he used sports to control.
One day, the holes in D’Mario’s old Nike shoes gave me an idea. I made $2.50 a day walking a dog, so I started saving up. After two months, I bought a decent pair of Adidas shoes for 60 bucks. When I gave D’Mario the basketball shoes, his eyes got big.
That moment sparked something; D’Mario realized that I wasn’t out to get him. I showed him that I cared.
Once I got the courage to reach out to D’Mario, he realized that we weren’t competitors. I felt relieved. He started giving me compliments on the court; I gave him compliments back. By taking a risk and choosing kindness, my actions brought out D’Mario’s nice side.
Nathan, age 12
Nathan’s story inspired the Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind exhibit.
