Exigence Essay

Prof. Rodwell
FIQWS 10103

The Bright Side of Using Her Words

It is genuinely astonishing how caught up we as human beings tend to get in our own
lives. Some of us tend to focus on our own problems, success, progressions and more as the list
goes on, rather than considering certain subjects and how they affect not only our lives but those
around us. I live my life unaware and inconsiderate towards the depth of the other lives that
surround me. Language is the perfect example of this. I feel as though language is a topic that
usually goes unnoticed or cared about. For example, I fluently speak one language and that is
english. The only time I’ve ever cared to learn other languages is when I knew I would be
receiving a grade for it. It wasn’t until this year that I actually considered trying to learn another
language to broaden my levels of communication. I truly believe that without language, people
wouldn’t be able to communicate with one another.
We need various languages, like spanish and french to communicate with those of other
ethnicities, we need sign language and body language to connect with the impaired. We need
dictionaries and thesauruses to obtain knowledge and better ways to speak to people in different
situations i.e school, and interviews. We need to communicate to connect with life as a whole,
and this wouldn’t be possible without language. Without language and communication, there’s
no room to connect or understand others. I feel as though without communicating, we would all
be completely isolated from one another as if we’re in our own personal closed off boxes. I say
this because at one stage in my life, I felt completely disconnected from friends, family, and
overall experiences and opportunities.
During my childhood, I’ve always had trouble communicating. I’ve been told amounts of
times that I was too shy because of the fact that I would barely speak. There were often times
where my silence would be viewed as rude, because I wouldn’t say things like “please”, “thank
you”, “excuse me” or even greetings such as “hello” and “goodbye”. I was the child who “lacked
participation” in school, and had their grades affected due to this. Outside looking in, some might
ask why, so let me say this, it’s not that I was incapable of talking, had speech problems, or that I
didn’t understand english. The answer is simple. I just didn’t like talking; not to family, not to
friends, not even to myself. Some might say I was an odd child, because when some think of
children, they usually imagine kids that are energetic and talkative, and that just wasn’t me.
However, I had to break out of this phase in order to progress as a person.
One thing I’ve learned throughout breaking this phase was that I had to utilize language
to communicate what I feel. I gradually started speaking more, especially in school. I assumed
this was because my teachers were annoyed with me for never participating. I would constantly
get cold called on to answer questions, and this would give me the biggest anxiety. This led me
to start stalling and answering “I don’t know” everytime a teacher called on me, just so they
could skip over me and ask the question to one of the kids who always raised their hands. This,
of course, affected my grades badly, but thankfully this was only during elementary school. My
mother one day decided to sit down and talk to me about why I didn’t like to speak. My mother
explained to me that communicating with people is how I’d get ahead in life, she told me that
there would be a constant disconnect between me, my family, and my peers if I don’t start using
my words. I remember crying and constantly saying sorry because I felt like I was a
disappointment. I felt as though I wasn’t the type of daughter my mother wanted. She was
always good at subjects like english, speech, journalism, writing and I was the total opposite. I
remember vividly, as I was crying, she hugged me, and told me this:
I just want you to be the best I know you can be, and how can you do that when everyone
just assumes you’re this weird, antisocial, and mute little girl. I’ve seen you smile, laugh, huff,
puff, and cry. But don’t ever be afraid to talk, answer questions, ask questions, or say how you
feel, to friends, family, even if it’s to your own mother.
My mother was literally the only person I would have actual conversations with, and one
thing that definitely stuck with me was when she told me not to be afraid. This is because I was
afraid, I didn’t like talking because I was scared of it, I was scared of being judged, scared of
getting answers wrong, and overall scared to say how I felt.
My mother was right, because once I started speaking more, I started to feel as though I
was shining. I would answer questions in school, I would slowly start raising my hand, and the
more I spoke, was the more people and other kids would speak to me. I became approachable,
and I was more comfortable approaching others. My grades also increased, I started to make
friends, and I started to have less anxiety. How we communicate comes a lot from language and
how we utilize it. You could know a language but if you aren’t going to use it to communicate,
what is the point ?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that language is essential to communication. Parents
must practice teaching their children how to communicate. I am sure I wasn’t the only child who
had this problem. Lack of communication from early stages could most likely lead to bigger
problems in one’s future, i.e anxiety, and I say this because despite my growth, I still suffer from
anxiety. Teachers, guidance counselors and other school officials should make it mandatory for
students to learn other languages and sign language from their youth. That way, there can be a
more comfortable and communicative environment between peers and teachers of all cultures
and situations. Language should be utilized and taught as a method to connect and build with
those around you. Communicating has opened me up to a better vocabulary, to better
mannerisms, to different languages, different environments, and bigger accomplishments. I’ve
gained more confidence in speaking, I feel more comfortable talking to people, whether they
speak english or not. I’m proud to say that I don’t know where I would be if I was still that shy
young girl who hated speaking. I’m happy with how much I’ve progressed. People must dig
deeper into the significance of the things that seem unimportant, such as language and how we
communicate. What may seem unimportant to one person, may be essential and have an overall
bigger purpose to society and one’s life.

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