What is Silence?

What is silence we ask? Silence, in my opinion, is people that can’t talk to stand up for themselves or stand up for others. What we usually don’t know is the power of it. The power that makes us all step aside and, watches like a bystander watching someone bully someone else. Do we really want to be like that and, watch the poor person be hurt or even ourselves?  Clint Smith a teacher that went on Ted Talks made a poetry of “The Dangers of Silence”, in which he explained his life growing up living in silence watching others get hurt and beaten because of his ignorance. Smith said, in his class, he talks about his truth in order to help the students open up and be more comfortable in the class. “These rules were read critically, write consciously, speak clearly, and tell your truth.” As Smith went on in his poetry he explains the realities he went through to help him tell his truth. Like when his friend came out gay, and he did nothing to help his friend. “The only thing he did was watch as his friend Christian get beaten up for being gay.” Smith felt helpless because he couldn’t even stand up for his friend. The quote that is my favorite form Smith is when he said, “I couldn’t use my locker for weeks because the bolt on the lock, reminded me of the one I put on my lips..” This quote is very meaningful to me because it reminds me of myself too. Instead of speaking up for myself and others, I always end up never saying anything and watch as others yell and get mad at each other or me. Causing me and the people around me to be mad or upset at the same time too. And one Quote that I find so real and can relate to is the one where Smith said, “ When the woman at the fundraising gala said I’m so proud of you. It must be so hard, teaching those poor, unintelligent kids”, I bit my lip, because apparently, we needed her money, more than his students needed their dignity.” This makes me feel really relatable because it’s true, and how we make money and fundraising events. And being a student and student-athlete my elementary to high school career; I understand how it feels to fundraise like that and have that thought in the back of my mind. Like I only want your money to help me I don’t need your talking, just give me your money! No joke that’s how I felt every time I fundraise for both school and sports. My a-ha moment was when I went to work and was too afraid to talk to my co-workers. Reason being is because I just got to know most of them recently a few months back when we came back from construction. And, what happened was I have three managers that I really don’t like. But growing up my mom said,  if you don’t like someone or hate them, you better not say anything mean to them be nice and honest. My mom basically told me to be two-faced shaking my head, but to be honest, if you have nothing nice to say just shh about it. And still, today I feel hesitant to talk to my co-workers because some of them I know but, some I don’t, and it’s intimidating to talk to some of those people.