There are a lot of moments in this world where we feel unspoken. We feel unspoken in class, we feel unspoken during the pandemic and vaccine requirements, we feel unspoken about how much somebody means to us even though to them we were just another somebody. Sometimes we feel unspoken when it’s on social media and that’s the most spoken of areas. Sometimes it’s when we’re with all of our loved ones but we still are afraid of that judgment. Sometimes we feel unspoken with our partners and even best friends. In this world, sometimes we just feel unspoken and that’s not okay. I feel unspoken often. Sometimes I know the answer in class and when the instructor asks for a response from anybody, the whole class is just silent and despite knowing the answer- there’s a pressure of being wrong. Which isn’t bad, but there’s still that undeniable pressure and it can be constricting. Sometimes when we’re with somebody we care about and they’re hurting, all you want to do is to explain to them your thoughts about it or maybe you don’t understand why they’re hurting and you’re afraid to say the wrong thing because they’re already so fragile. It’s as if they’re a melting snowball of sleet and you’re cupping your hands around it to keep it a ball but all you’re doing is causing it to melt and lose structure. Next thing you know it’s gone because it was so fragile and the heat of your hands, despite trying to keep its shape all cupped, it’s inevitable and it melts because you didn’t handle the situation with enough care. That’s how I feel sometimes. Sometimes I say the wrong thing- we all do, but I can just be so blunt sometimes and not everybody wants that and sometimes I just stay unspoken. One of my favorite professors passed away yesterday. He helped me feel spoken in those moments, and I will forever remember the impact a simple sarcastic remark or joke from him had caused. He will be missed dearly. Here’s to you, Dr. Reavy. Thank you for the impact that you have made on all of us. You have helped the unspoken, feel spoken.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Scranton chapter.