Inspired by a personal loss, the TIOWChallenge challenge was created to help people know that they matter. When people are going through some rough times (ex. bullying, depression) they might feel like no one in the world cares about them. The goal of the challenge is to show those people that they actually care. The participants need to wear a specific coloured bead, for a period of one week, that represents the specific cause.
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Hi everyone! My name's Sophie, and I'm the creator of the #ThisIsOurWorld Challenge. I created this challenge with my friend -WolfRebel101- (who prefers to go by the name of Waffle) to help show people who are going through rough times that there are people who care about them. This was based off a personal experience that I am now ready to share with others.
Waffle and I used to have a friend named Nathan. I met Nathan around March of 2015. He always tried to make everyone happy, and was, as cliché as it sounds, the nicest person on Earth. Fast forward a couple of months, and I had introduced Nathan to Waffle. The three of us were fast friends. I never did anything extraordinary or special for Nathan, but even so, he always found a way to make my day brighter whenever I felt sad.
Over time, I learned that Nathan was extremely self-conscious and lacked confidence. I didn't think it was anything significant; after all, a lot of people are just naturally shy.
Fast forward again to October 28, 2015. This was some eight months after I had initially begun talking to Nathan. Waffle and I were messaging Nathan, until suddenly, he said, "Goodbye girls", and stopped replying.
At first, we thought he was just logging off for the day, but then we remembered that he never said "Goodbye," he always just said "bye", or "talk to you soon".
Three little dots.
Three little dots were all I could see of him, the sign that he was typing. And for five minutes, Waffle and I sat there, watching those three little dots, waiting for something, anything, staring at our screens and waiting for him to continue.
Finally, he sent the message... And what I read broke my heart.
"And I won't be back.. I'm sorry, I thought I could do it.. I just can't. I love you guys but there's so much going on in my life that I can't handle. I think the best thing for me to do would be to leave. I haven't had the best quality of life lately, with bullying at school and taking shit on social media.. I genuinely think that the only people who would care if I wasn't in their life would be you two girls, my sister Natalie, and Adrian [his boyfriend].. Maybe not even him. I can't live in a world where I'm not accepted.. I've tried to, believe me I have, but I've been out for 4 years and majority of what it has caused me is pain and sadness. I find myself wishing that I don't wake up in the morning and when I do... I don't have the energy to pull myself out of bed just to face a world with a mask on. Today was my breaking point I guess... Please don't be worried or sad by this... I'm not worth it. This has nothing to do with anything you've done, you've just made it easier to live while I did... I'm sorry. But it's killing me to stay here."
About four years ago, Nathan and his twin sister Natalie came out as bisexual. They were bullied in school, and they faced a lot of hate. Nathan was even rushed to the hospital several times as a result of being assaulted by bullies at school. Natalie told me that their dad hated them for being bisexual.
That night, Nathan took his own life.
That night, Waffle and I lost a close friend.
That night, Natalie lost her best friend and twin brother.
That night, I became aware of a terrible injustice in this world–one that I could not watch and just accept.
The #ThisIsOurWorld challenge was created to tell others that there are others who care about them. It's a very simple challenge, but I believe that it can mean the world to others. All you have to do is wear a specific coloured bead, take a picture, and post it on social media with #ThisIsOurWorld. By seeing others wear these beads, I hope that those going through rough times will realize that someone out there cares about them. I want others to realize that people who value all lives do exist, even if we don't know who they are.
The first challenge, the Purple Bead, started on December 14, 2015. The Purple Bead was put out to show those who are getting bullied that there are others who care about them; people who will stand by them. Of course, anyone interested in the challenge and wants to show support is free to join.
I know that there will always be hate in this world, but at the same time there will always be love and compassion.
So if you ever feel insignificant, worthless, or alone, I want you to know: there are always people out there who care. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Even the darkest of tunnels have a light at the end.
