Yes, You! Lets Hear It

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I read a Blog post from Professor Dennen Today, It challenged me. It challenged me to consider the times I myself have been fearful to speak up for all the reasons she named.

I have wondered myself, who am I going to make upset once I say this? 
What’s going to happen?
What am I going to do if this goes South? 
Over  time, I have realized none of those are truly reasons to be silent.

Years ago my dad told me “If you say the right thing at the wrong time, it is as if you have said the wrong thing”. That stuck with me because I witnessed him saying many things that myself and others needed to hear. Those things I needed to hear also made me very angry. Primarily because he used his words to illustrate and highlight truths that I was too prideful to acknowledge &  accept on my own. 

I wonder, how my voice impacts others. 
Truly, how will the words I speak or write resonate with my friends, family, classmates, colleagues and strangers?

I wonder, do my friends sometimes respond internally how I once did my father? Do they say “thanks” while seething because in love,  I have shone  a light on a false reality, challenged their perspective, and called them to greater awareness. 

To all who may read this. Please speak. Please write. 
Do so responsibly, fearlessly, and in love.

Tiffany 

Comments

  1. VanessaJune 6, 2020 at 3:14 PM

    Related to all of this -- this week I keep thinking about how much "be polite" was emphasized during my childhood (and I assume this is a common experience). However, "be polite" often equals be silent. ("If you don't have anything nice to say ...").

    My experience in academe, however, has challenged that. We use critique to make use stronger. Polite is reframed as constructive. Have a voice, say your piece, just don't use mean words or accusations. (Easier said than done, and not everyone does this.)

    Can we apply this to everyday life? Can we break silence and speak our minds, our truths, and our needs without creating conflict? Realizing this has as much to do with listening on the other end as it does to do with speaking ... but there you go, it's what your post and this ongoing dialogue that's been occurring in our class across tweets, posts and comments has led me to think about today.

    As for that last part -- and tying back to our topic (social media) -- isn't it interesting how the dialogue winds across platforms?

    ReplyDelete

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