Dear Annie: This letter describes my life experiences with bullies and how I managed to succeed. I was a scrawny, pimple-faced little kid growing up, had a weak voice, got fists shaken in my face while being held to the ground several times, was held underwater in swimming class and nearly drowned, was mocked for not having a girlfriend until my early 20s and was always the last person to be picked for a team in gym class. Living through all that, I never wanted anything to do with sports or extracurricular activities. Much of the mockery came from the sports jocks and guys bigger than me. Once I graduated, I swore I'd never have anything to do with class reunions or sports, and I haven't. I've heard that those individuals "are different people now" and that I should attend a reunion to see for myself and maybe show off some of my accomplishments. I feel the saying "A leopard never loses its spots" applies here. I'm in my early 70s now and am mostly over the pain, embarrassment and frustration. Even so, now and then, I wouldn't mind unfortunate things happening to those people who made my life unbearable. Mostly, I get over those ideas of revenge quickly and resume the latest book, project or movie I'm consuming.Updated: Sat Dec 03, 2022