Except For That One Time

Well, you've always been a quiet one, so I never
really got to know you too well. But that one time ...

I don't know what I was doing there at the time, but I was probably skipping class when I saw her crying at the end of the hall. Though I could have walked away, my choice was to walk towards her and find out if she was okay.

It was probably the first time that I spoke with her. Striking up conversations doesn't come naturally for me, but it seemed necessary. She was clearly distraught, though I never found out why. I simply offered my company. That was enough, apparently. Even a quiet guy can provide some comfort.

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This is the end of my series on yearbook snapshots. I have many more, but I think the point has been made:

When people noticed me, it was usually because my quietness was so loud.

 

Quiet But Nice

So quiet but so nice

 

We Never "Conversated"

You never really said much and we never really conversated ...

 

Beauty Overrides Silence

Your masculine beauty over-rides your silence

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As bad as it is, this one makes me laugh. Or blush. Not sure.

People say the oddest things.

 

Presence

You never seemed to be loud or draw a lot of attention to yourself,
yet your presence seemed to demand respect

 

Deep, "G"

You didn't talk speak much, but what you said was deep

 

Always The One To Shock Us

You wouldn't say anything for days but then you'd open
your mouth and say something incredibly profound

 

A Little "Quite"

You were a little quite

 

Can't Hear You Anyhow

You don't say too much & when you do I can't hear you anyhow

 

Scared To Hear It

Everybody wonders what you've been thinking about during all that quiet time.

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Note: The above snapshot is from my high school yearbook. Probably ninety percent of the book was signed by kids who referenced my quietness in one way or another. As incredible as it is to flip through it and see that, the truth is that it's nothing compared to the day-to-day life at high school. Every day, most of the kids who spoke to me mentioned my quietness. I wish I could describe what that's like. But rather than bombard the world with all of that, I figured that I'd post some of these scribbled notes instead.

This is the first.

Some statements get pounded into us more than others. For me, it was always about how quiet I was. High school is one of those times that leaves a mark. It's a time for figuring things out. For me, it was a time for confronting and discovering my own quiet nature.

I grew much back then; and part of that involved just letting myself be me.