I can relate to so much of what you say. Okay, last year marked 30 years since I left school, and one guy said that he remembered me fondly from school (he wasn't a bully) and I remember him for something because he was friendly with, but also had a falling out with, a guy who was a Holden (the Australian branch of GM/C) fan, who was a real sh*t stirrer, and he told me that he liked Fords (and so do I). One guy who hung around with a-holes at school had a tragic accident and messaged me to say that if he gave me any trouble that he was very sorry. I thanked him for his apology.

And I remember my father worked with a woman who was bullish (she was a combination of Paris Hilton minus the wealth and a non-comedic Hyacinth Bucket). And I have found many people who were bullies at school become bullies in adulthood.