Sad Moments during Lunch Time (or Recess)

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Hello. I haven't been at WP for more than a week, but I have something to talk about that has been in my mind for a while.

I remember having a sad moment during lunch time in grade school. When I was still in high school, I sat at a random table with a group of students. The table was almost full so I took that spot and sat there. Once I sat there, those students, for unknown reasons, started calling me bad names like "alien" and "weirdo." This was very unacceptable and hurtful. Afterwards, they willingly got up and left me all alone on that table. The worst part was that no one thought of it as a kind of bullying or have any thought of helping me. I was sitting at that table just to have a usual lunch with people, and sometimes, talk with some students (unusual for an Aspie). I felt so upset that it happened to me and I almost got into a fight with that group who bullied me. Luckily, I chose not to fight.

However, I was not the only one who ends up sitting at the lunch table all alone. Some of my friends, who have physical and mental disabilities (Autism Spectrum included), had to suffer being alone at a lunch table with no one to sit with. It seemed to me that the group who bullied me did this because I was associated with a group (people with disabilities or in Special Ed.) who are different, not physically or mentally strong, undesirable, or all these. From my observation during high school, and researching about it through my free time, I think that a person who has a disability or belongs in Special Ed. is a common victim for bullying since they are easy targets and may not react quickly enough to get help, or even realize that they are bullied. Realizing this, I tried to make an effort to sit with a student who is alone at the lunch table, especially students who have a disability.

Do you remember any sad moments during lunch when you were in grade school? What did you do after you got bullied during lunch? What was it like being the lonely student at lunch, whom no one wants to sit with? Do you prefer to sit alone and why? Finally, do you try to sit with a lonely student?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, my apologies, but I'm curious. I'm just wondering if anyone has a similar experience that I was going through.

I can relate. Bullying has never been a huge part of my life, but I can definitely remember plenty of times where I've been alone at lunch. It's not fun.

I would rarely go to the cafeteria for lunch for this reason; I'd go to the library and just read. Other times I had acquaintances I could sit with. Still other times, I had one friend in a biggish group, and she found it okay to sit with me but her friends would all groan when I went to sit with them.