Learned Silence

Silence as a form of protection

Photo by Daria Trofimova on Unsplash

She sat there and said nothing.

She had plenty to say. She had said it before.

And it didn’t work out.

She remembered how a small misunderstanding turned into something she had to explain and relive, over and over.

She recalled how the effort to be understood made her feel more alone than just letting it all go.

So, she chose to say less.

The thoughts were there, but she did not want to be misunderstood yet again.

She isn’t difficult to talk to.

She’s just grown accustomed to people being unwilling to put in the time.

She’s learned that silence can feel safer than being misread.

Her silence isn’t defiance.

It’s protection.

Sometimes silence doesn’t mean absence.

It is what’s left after being misunderstood too many times.