"And of course I am afraid, because the transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation, and that always seems fraught with danger. But my daughter, when I told her of our topic and my difficulty with it, said "Tell them about how you're never really a whole person if you remain silent, because there's always that one little piece inside you that wants to be spoken out, and if you keep ignoring it, it gets madder and madder and hotter and hotter, and if you don't speak it out one day it will just up and punch you in the mouth from the inside."
— Audre Lorde, from The Transformation of Silence
Dear Hyungwon,
I came across this a few days ago, and it reminded me of how US citizens are told they have the right to remain silent while in the custody of law enforcement so that they don't unknowingly incriminate themselves.
We remain silent to protect ourselves from judgment.
In The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action, Audre Lorde talks about how being diagnosed with cancer made her face her own mortality and see that there were many things about which she had remained silent out of fear. She also says that whenever she did speak, speaking connected her with others.
For me, winter is a dormant season meant for rest and reflection. I'm reading, thinking, and writing. I hope you are, too. I don't have a large audience or anything, but the act of condensing thoughts and feelings into words and sharing it has also connected me with others.
As always, I wish you warmth and good health.
I love you, please take care of yourself ♥