“What Are Words For When No One Listens Anymore?”
Is anyone else feeling this, these days? As in: speaking but not being heard?
Or rather, FEELING as if you are not being heard? People talking over you, AT you instead of WITH you, interrupting you, forcing you to then be perhaps more forceful then you would otherwise normally BE? I don’t like this, at all. I can most definitely be assertive when I need to be (and often am) because: as a physically petite small boned former ballet dancer who just happens to have a very soft speaking voice, this type of verbal intimidation by others has pretty much been my entire life. In fact, it was this very reason, that the now former Chair of the English Department that I taught composition and literature courses in at a local university was worried about for me, on my behalf, saying: “The kids will run over you if you project this quality” and, he was right, and in many ways, that brief time I spent teaching helped me immensely in learning to hone and perfect my public speaking skills. Was it scary? Oh yes, absolutely without a doubt.
BUT, it was a very good learning experience for me at the same time, too.
Lately, I’ve been noticing this more and more with most places…individuals who apparently can not be bothered to exhibit common courtesy and a civil politeness towards others. The thing is: a part of me DOES…
