“Silent waters run deep.”
I’ll never forget what my high school history teacher said, referring to students like me who didn’t really talk much. I wasn’t sure whether she quoted some famous wise person or just coined the expression herself. But it sure gave encouragement to an extremely shy boy who stammered just to say “hello”.
All of a sudden, I had nothing to prove. Never mind that I really had nothing much to say.
Fast forward twenty-something years. I’ve come to see that statement in a different light. Maybe it wasn’t really meant to be a compliment the way I thought it was. Its negative implication is probably better understood in Filipino.
“Nasa loob ang kulo.”
Sounds dangerous, don’t you think? Imagine dormant volcanoes. Silent. Deep. Explosive.
Not to mention uhealthy.
A good friend recently shared his sentiment on social media about people who talk a a lot, but have nothing to say. It made me think. What about people who have much to say, but don’t talk? What if you’ve got something that could impact a person’s life? Or even a community?
Then it hit me. Being silent doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more respectful. And it doesn’t really make you more humble.
It can actually be selfish.
I made an attempt to build my own web site about a decade ago, when the only “blog” I knew was the sound of a hard object hitting a wooden floor. My objectives are a little different today as I write my first official post. From here on out, I might say something you don’t like or agree with. I might even try to change your mind once in a while. But like I sometimes say to those who doubt (jokingly of course): You don’t have to listen to me… I’m just a pro.
Cheers,
Mic
COACH MIC QUE 