What to say?

[SOU_Fan]

When I was in high school, I tried to hide my hobby, it just wasn’t cool. Still, folks found out and made comments. Don’t feel that you have to defend your interest, don’t even try to explain. Unless they are willing to start a fight over it, just walk away and don’t worry about it. You don’t need to impress them, you only need to be happy with what you’re doing. They will continue to “pick” on you only so long as they think it is bothering you. Once they figure you don’t care what they think, they’ll move on to someone else. If there are others who share your interest hang out with them. My best friend and I both loved trains, he was also very cool, I wasn’t. We played sports together and a bunch of other stuff, trains were just one of the things we had in common.

Now, I have no problem letting folks know I like trains. I’m in charge of 75 people and not one likes trains, at least as far as I know. Most are into cars, trucks, hunting fishing and such, I share some of those interests as well. They don’t frown on what I do and if they give me static, I drop them and make them do push ups! [:D]

Good luck and take care.

Rick

Ha, good answer! What do you do that your in charge of 75 people?

Get good grades if you can, and if you can’t do the best you can.

I recieved a 3.9 GPA this quarter!

Not bad at all. keep ut the good work and it will payoff. I;m in school also and this last semester I had a 4.0.

-Smoke

[Tilden]

Just look at them and say you understand if they lack the creative ability to build and suggest they spend less time in front of the TV or video game.

Tilden

[SantaFe_RockIsland]

Don’t let it get you down. Try to ignore what the other students think and say.

When I was in high school, my physical science teacher started a model railroad club. Talk to the different teachers and counselors to see if they might have an interest or at least be willing to sponsor a model railroad club. This will attract others who have a similiar interest.

If you are in boy scouts, there are several merit badges you can earn by working on a model railroad: art, collections, computers, electricity, electronics, engineering, metal work, model design and building, photography, railroading, reading, woodwork, etc. The troup I used to help out had a very active model railroad group, because of all the merit badges they could earn while having fun. They had an impressive modular layout and one large trailer just to take the modules to the different train shows.

Glad to see you came back to what you enjoy.

[wctransfer]

I have 2 thoughts,one for Milwaukee Road, and one for WCfan.

MILW,

If you were going to quit just because someone was making fun of you for it, then you must not like it that much, or your a push over.

WCfan,

Telling a teacher will only make you look like more of geek. If you dont like what they do to you, find some way to get back at them, because if you keep “tattling” on them, you will be made fun of much more.

This may of sounded harsh, but no one here should put up with the crap our hobby gets. Most kids on the forum here are afraid to do anything back it seems, and trust me if you show that your not a wimp, you will be treated a little better. Dont be a goody goody if you want to change how the “bullies” treat you. Just PLEASE dont be afraid to stand up for yourselves, it sickens me.

Alec

[MilwaukeeRoad]

Oh, I stand up for myself…I can beat up everyone of them…not to sound violent. They tried beating me up once…boy they really got what was coming to them…[:-^]

Golfing was terrible…I broke my favorite club. lol

[wctransfer]

Alright, good to hear it bandit (lol!)

Alec

[MilwaukeeRoad]

Alright, good to hear it bandit (lol!)

Alec

Haha.

[WCfan]

Alright, good to hear it bandit (lol!)

Alec

Now that is funny![(-D]

[RedGrey62]

Milwaukee Road

Yes, I am military, almost 26 years now. You received some great advice from a lot of folks who have tons of experience. I really liked the 5% percent of life reply. Virtually everything we do in life is temporary, merely a stepping stone to our next phase in life. Many things we take with us thru these phases, for me, model railroading has always been there. Sometimes nothing more than a magazine to read while everything was packed away and I was sharing a room with 2 other Airmen. And now, planning (finally) for my dream layout once I exit this phase (military) into the next phase. House is being built and I can’t wait!

Have fun, you’re only physically young once, but you can remain mentally young your whole life.

Rick

[BRJN]

MilwaukeeRoad,

Be creative - ask your teachers if you will have to do any projects, and try to talk them into letting you use something model railroading related. The benchwork can be a Shop project. Making plaster-type scenic forms can be Chemistry (you’ll have to start from scratch - no buying Instant Plaster of Paris from Office Depot ). Build a more-natural forest (or desert) scene for Environmental Consciousness class. History teachers might appreciate a set of HO scale billboards from the 1930s - and a couple Burma-Shave signs, too. Drafting class might allow you to build a building with interior, lights, &c. Civic Architecture is good for a bridge. Computer Technology lets you show off your DCC programming skills. Getting just the right shade colors for weathering is in the Visual Arts sphere. If your Social Studies teachers have a bad case of anti-America-itis, use European urban transportation prototypes. For Phys Ed, you can lug all this stuff into the school building from the parking lot.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

As you may have seen my other posts, about me getting made fun of for model railroading and me quiting…

I’m going to model again as you may or may not know…I miss it too much. I’m going to a highschool next year that pretty much no one likes me (parents don’t have enough money to send me to the right school) Yes, I already know these kids. But, since they already don’t like me the insults will just be worse I’m thinking.

What should I say to them If they make fun of my modeling?

Thanks, friends.

Say nothing. After a while they’ll get the message that you’re not going to let them get a rise out of you.

[brothaslide]

I’m going to a highschool next year that pretty much no one likes me (parents don’t have enough money to send me to the right school)

There has to be some students who you hang around with. Please consider this; you might be “overly” enthusiastic about model railroading and some of the other students find it a bit of a turn off. You might want to take some interest in what some of your friends do and they just might start taking an interest in what you do. Relationshsips are a two way street.