When I was a child, I was frozen. I barely spoke and was consumed with anxiety. There was so much in me that felt locked up, that for reasons I did not know, I could not express. When I tried, it was as though my words got jumbled up, and what was reflected made it clear that my message was not received. I decided it was easier to remain silent.
From the outside in, it appeared as though I was not smart, I did not have opinions or I simply did not care. But in fact, the more I remained silent, the more I keenly observed and deeply contemplated my experiences. As I began to perceive the world very differently from those around me, I lost faith that I would ever be understood. When I was in elementary school I was quiet and well-behaved, so I was virtually invisible. As a teacher now, I get this.

kanob