Rock and Roll Saved My Soul

Cyberbullying:  the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. Today, the focus of the column will be to talk about coping mechanisms and what to do if you're being cyberbullied.  Aisling:  If you or someone you know is being cyber bullied make sure you talk to someone you trust about it.  Block the person, or people, doing the cyber bullying. It is better not to respond to the bullying online. Sometimes that's what the bully wants is for you to feed into it because they want a reaction. Sandy:  Honestly save what they say to you and talk to an adult about it or someone you trust. Then you should block anyone who cyber bullies you. Bully look for you to react to things. If you don't react they grow bored and move on to someone else. It's better to walk away from things then to show them it bugs you. Kate:   If you're being cyberbullied, here are some steps you can ...

Meet Melissa Lorraine, the face behind the RRSMS LinkedIn! Mj Rain (Melissa Lorraine) is a writer, poet, and Activist. In the Summer of 2005, she and her family moved from Long Island to Central Iowa. She currently resides there with her mom, husband, daughter, and their Lilac Siamese cat named Lucky. Mj is very proud of the work she does running the RRSMS LinkedIn account and the opportunity she has to be a philanthropist, as a contributing writer and a member of the advert team. She is very proud of all that she and her teammates have accomplished in their mission to cause positive change in the world.  She is also the Co-Founder of Maidenstone Press and has been published by RRSMS, I'm With Geek, The Cat's Meow for Writers and Readers Magazine.  Mj was also a winner of NaNoWriMo 2014. She is currently working on a letter to her daughter about how much of a miracle her life truly is and all of the obstacles that had to be overcome in order to bring...

Let's talk about Gaslighting. You may or may not have heard this term before, so let's start by talking about its origins. The term ‘gaslighting’ gets its name from the 1938 play Gaslight. (It also gained a more well known film adaption in 1944). The premise of the play involves a young woman named Bella in 1880 whose husband attempts convince her that she is losing her mind in order to hide his crimes.  So, what exactly is gaslighting?  Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which a person manipulates another into thinking that they are losing their mind, or simply manipulating them into believing lies to the point that they question their own thoughts and how they perceive the world around them.   An example of attempted gaslighting in media would be in the Harry Potter series when Dolores Umbridge attempts to convince Harry that Voldemort has not returned, despite Harry knowing that he saw him with his own eyes.  There was also a case in...

Bullying: what to do if teachers aren't taking it seriously: Aisling:  If the teacher(s) won't listen go to someone in a position above them. Also, it will help to talk to your parents or another family member that can help. Bullying is unacceptable & shouldn't happen to anyone. Sandy:  If the teachers won't, do anything go up higher than them. Principal or school counselor. If that doesn't work, tell your parents. I know that I have talked to my son's school before because it didn't seem like the teachers were doing anything. No one deserves to be bullied and it should always be handled no matter how you have to get it taken care of. Kate: I wholeheartedly agree with what both Sandy and Aisling have said. If your teachers aren't taking it seriously, go to a counselor or the principal. Tell your parents. They can help and even set up a meeting with your principal or teacher to make sure that the situation is dealt with. You are no...

Meet Gina Dierolf and Sid Scott Lee, the faces behind the RRSMS Tumblr account! My name is Gina, I am 26 years old and a live in Pennsylvania with my mom, and friend. We have 6 animals; a ball python named Saosin, a dachshund Zachariah, and 4 hamsters Jaime (Hi-me), Pepper, Sonnet, and Rosie. At Rock and Roll Saved my Soul I am a Social Media Specialist where I co-run the RRSMS Tumblr with Sid. I have also contributed to a couple of the anthologies. Volunteering for RRSMS is a highly rewarding experience, I love it. It's a fun and caring community that allows you to connect to other people who share a similar passion as you. Hello, Sid here! I run the Tumblr blog with Gina as well as write pieces for their various charity anthologies. I'm a twenty-one year old writer and aspiring artist who lives in Midwest. When I'm not writing I'm usually working with rescue dogs or playing cheesy otome games. I absolutely love working with Rock and Roll...

Gina: From First to Last  Kate:  Nothing, surprisingly. The last thing I did listen to though was Saint Asonia Sandy:  Last thing I listened to was Skillet. Right now I just hear my son playing with his monkey toy. Melissa:  At the moment? The news. A little while ago, we were listening to and singing children's songs to my infant daughter. My favorite of those songs is Down In The Valley. Renee:  The grinder at Starbucks Aisling:  Nothing  Twinkle:  Billboard Top 200 Sid:  "Hold Onto You" By Nathan Sharp AKA Nate Wants to Battle Heather:  I'm not listening to anything.   Lori:   Jay Putty Radeyah:   Nothing. 

Small things you can do to brighten someone’s day:  Aisling:  5 ways to help brighten up someone's day.  1. Send someone a card or letter in the mail to let them know you're thinking of them.  2. Hold the door open for someone.  3. Pay for someone's coffee or food. 4. Let someone who has been waiting pull out into traffic ahead of you.  5. Smile Sandy:  You can do anything from opening the door for someone to buying someone lunch. Sometimes even a simple thank you for someone who opens the door for you can help brighten someone's day. We all live in a busy go go go style and a lot of the times we are rude and mean to others. We need to change that so we can make the world better. Kate: There are so many things you can do to brighten someone's day. Here are some of my favorites:  Bake some goodies and bring them to work for your co-workers. Leave “I love you” notes for your partner to find (perhaps his packed lunch or h...

Meet Heather Kirchhoff, the face behind the RRSMS Twitter account.  I live in Missouri where I work at a nursing home. I currently have one dog, and I’ll be getting a betta soon. I love animals; I’m heartbroken not all of them have happy homes. When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading, taking pictures, walking, and spending time with my animals, family and best friends. I became a bookworm back in sixth grade when my teacher suggested I read the Phantom Stallion series by Terri Farley and instantly fell in love. Ever since then, I’ve taken a book pretty much anywhere with me. I absolutely love reading! I enjoy when a story takes me from the real world for a little while, and into something completely different. I’ll read anything as long as it sounds good, aside from non-fiction and self-help books. My favorite genre is paranormal, but I also like reading love stories here and there. I was inspired to write by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, Richelle Mead’s Vampi...

By Kate Marie Robbins Note From the Author: This novel is based on a true story—my story. All names and some situations were changed to make the story fiction, protecting myself from those involved.  I will admit that this was one of the hardest books I have ever had to write. It opened up a lot of wounds that I wished could have stayed locked inside, but what happened to me, happens far too often and a lot of times we stand idle, not doing a thing about it. No one should have to live in fear. No one should have to be abused, whether it be mentally, emotionally, or physically. No one should feel that they deserve it because it comes from someone who is supposed to love us—that isn’t love. A lot of times we don’t see the warning signs until it is too late. I consider myself lucky to have regained control of my life. Please keep in mind that while reading this, a lot of the situations did happen to me in some shape or form. I was young and naive and I ...

How to effectively communicate with someone who has a different opinion as you: Aisling:  Be as polite as possible, don't lose your temper & try to stay calm. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, sometimes people forget that & immediately react in anger when the other person disagrees with them.  Calmly talk things through together. In the end you may just have to agree to disagree. Sandy:  As long as you said what you want and they have said what you want. Before it gets out of hand and turns into an argument I usually use hey look this isn't worth fighting over. We both know the other opinion and we should be able to agree that on this subject we disagree. If they keep trying to push it, just walk away Michaelle:  The best way to communicate with someone that has a different opinion than yourself is to listen, summarize what you heard, and then state your point. Listening is key to good communication. Take time to ...

Our Promise By   Heather Kirchhoff I was once told that my smile lights up my face. I was once told that I glow when I’m with her. My love. And I’m certain today will be no different.      The time we first went out flashes through my mind. That night was amazing. It was everything I ever hoped for. Dreamed for. I instantly knew what I found was something I should never let go. Not many people are as lucky as I am.       My girlfriend is perfect to me. For me.       She’s made me a better person.       I have great friends and family. They support me through everything I do. I thought my life was going to be hard, especially after the things I’ve been through and the stuff that was once said to me.       But now, after my entire childhood and teenage years of being bullied and hiding who I truly am, my life is finally on the right track. I’m finally able to pick up the missing pieces. ...

NSYNC (sometimes stylized as ★NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich.[2] NSYNC consisted of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager Lou Pearlman and former record label Bertelsmann Music Group, the group's second album, No Strings Attached, sold over one million copies in one day and 2.42 million copies in one week, which was a record for over fifteen years. In addition to a host of Grammy Award nominations, NSYNC has performed at the World Series, the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games, and sang or recorded with Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Nelly, Left Eye, Mary J. Blige, country music supergroup Alabama, and Gloria Estefan. Although NSYNC announced the start of a "temporary hiatus" in spring 2002, the ban...