I am without a voice at the moment.
Literally.
I caught a cold last week, got a sore throat, and then it developed into laryngitis. I can make a low-sounding croak, and that's about it. Yesterday I strained my voice canceling two appointments and I don't know if one of those people got or understood the message I left. I rescheduled an appointment for Friday (a PT evaluation) and just said I'll be there if I have to write stuff down; meaning, I'll be there if I have to write notes in order to communicate.
I did have errands to run yesterday, and it was interesting. I did a lot of smiling and nodding; whispered at a couple of points, and worried if I was going to be perceived as being rude because I wouldn't talk to people.
It also made me wonder, how in the world do people cope who can't communicate?
No wonder people throw tantrums or scream or cry when they feel like they aren't making themselves understood. It's frustrating to not be able to communicate. I at least can write, and that helps.
There's a deeper metaphor to all of this, I'm sure. There are the those who are literally "without a voice", as I am at the moment; those who are physically unable to speak. There are the deaf, who rely on sign language or texting or written notes.
And you can throw into the mix those without access to people who will listen.
These are the ones cut off from society, those who plead for redress over and over again and who are not heard. And although I have serious problems with those who resort to destruction of property, Martin Luther King had a point when he said that a riot was the language of the unheard.
What do we do? How do we give that voice to the voiceless?
Right now, I honestly don't know. I was going to add, " . . . and teach them how to use their voice," but I wonder if that comes across as paternalistic. Would I only teach someone "how to use their voice" if I wanted them to only say what I wanted them to say?
I'm lucky. My voice will return sometime in the next couple of days. For those without a voice, they may not be so lucky.
Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.
