A Letter to Those Who are Afraid of Being Loud

When I was younger - but still old enough to understand that people didn’t always like me - I would sit in silence in a room with people I didn’t know yet. I wanted to be heard, but the fear of speaking out was louder than me. Specially in school.

I tried really hard after weeks of being companioless in class, sitting alone at lunch. I would go home crying, asking my mom why no one would talk to me, younger then all the kids in my grade, not being able to understand that I had to make my move too. It was terrible, really, but after a while I made friends, now, even though I know they didn’t become the best people (one day I’ll tell their story, as a way to remember and as a way to scream how crazy all that was), I still feel the need to thank them because without talking to someone I wouldn’t have had the courage to talk to anyone in the future.

So when I went to study in another city for high school, I was a little scared, to say the least. I thought I would be alone again. So, I did my best to talk to people that year, I met the most amazing people, and also people that will always make me wonder “how did you turn out like this?”, all of that helped me grow, from the hurting moments to the comforting ones.

I started talking again and after a while I was heard.

I learned to take the initiative and now I talk to people I love every day.

I fought people, I met knew people, I went through some of the worst parts of my existence, I was happy. Never in my life I would have experienced what I had if I continued how I was.

And I hope that people who want to talk but are afraid can. It’s a slow process, but it works in the end.

I’m going to my first party - a big one - for the first time next weekend, wish me luck!