Being the Quiet Kid

      It’s really not that bad to be the one who doesn’t raise their hand in class, the one who sits back and watches and patiently waits until the room is dead quiet to choose to speak or not speak after all. It’s really not that bad to be the person who chooses to not respond to aggression with more aggression or to always be “on” all the time in social situations. It’s really not that bad. And, let’s face it, even the most outgoing people enjoy feeling a little bit of “quiet” sometimes, the sort of silence that allows you to sit back and take in your surroundings in a way that feels both disconnected and a little bit in the moment, as well.

      Sometimes it’s okay to be a philosopher and think those thoughts that you’re certain nobody else has thought of before. We all think, don’t we? Sometimes it’s okay to see that kid on the playground who’s choosing to sort rocks into little piles or read a book all by their lonesome. There really is nothing wrong with solitude. Solitude allows us to hear the thoughts we want to turn off in social situations. Sometimes that’s scary, but that’s what silence is for. It’s both a choice and, for some people, a necessity.

      If you’re talking to the quiet person, don’t tell them to snap out of it. Just listen to them once they feel like talking. And if they don’t feel like talking, then just sort of enjoy the silence with them. Don’t be weirded out. There’s nothing to be freaked out about in just relaxing and sitting back for a while. It’s actually quite nice.

      You get some labels when you’re silent. Sometimes you’re thoughtful, intelligent, or artsy, or sometimes silence is seen as being brooding or sad, depending on what your face looks like at the moment. Sometimes thoughts shift and become choppy and loud. Sometimes thoughts sort of drift away and you’re left feeling kind of serene, not really thinking about much of anything. But being quiet is really wonderful. It’s not a source of something to be loathed or feared or just ignored. There shouldn’t be a bad label placed on being quiet.

      Sometimes you need to be quiet in order to make the truly important things heard.

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