Day 4084: Being heard

I have this thing about being heard. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman. Maybe it’s because I’m aging, or maybe it’s because I was in the hospital a lot when I was a kid.

Being heard, to me, is part of surviving. If nobody hears me asking for help, I might die.

Last night, after a day when I was struggling mightily to be heard (because my Internet went out minutes before I was supposed to sing at a hospital event and later facilitate two on-line therapy groups), I asked this question on Twitter:

I heard all the answers to that question, although I’m not posting them all here.

When our Internet failed yesterday, my rants and ravings were being heard by my husband, Michael, who suggested that I quickly go somewhere that had Wi-Fi. Because I really wanted to be heard at the hospital event where I was scheduled to be the opener, I ran out with my laptop and no coat to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts and sang the song standing outside in the rain. (Inside there was very loud music, so I wouldn’t have been heard there). Then, I realized that I could connect to the Dunkin’ Donuts wi-fi from my car, so I was able to be heard by my Coping and Healing group at 3 PM. The group members expressed their appreciation at my efforts to guarantee that their voices would be heard by each other, on schedule.

Sometimes I wish I weren’t so frantic about the need to be heard.

Do you see anything else that needs to be heard in this blog post?

I think women need to be heard and on this day that celebrates women in so many ways, Happy Birthday to my first and still best friend, Barbara!

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “being heard.”

Thanks to all who help my being heard, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

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18 thoughts on “Day 4084: Being heard

  1. everyone needs to be heard

  2. Glad you got to sing, and do your groups! I hate being without the internet!

  3. You were very resourceful in being heard and in helping your therapy group members, Ann. Sounds like a bit of an adventure, although stressful.

    I have not been able to visit here as regularly as usual because my brother died suddenly last week and I also caught COVID for the first time. I am quite busy organizing a celebration of life, but will catch up pretty soon.

    • Maureen! Glad to hear from you again. I am so very sorry for your loss. I lost a brother rather suddenly a few years ago, and it still seems unreal. There were 6 of us altogether, and I still end my emails to my sibs with “we are six.” And Covid on top of that? So good to have you back. 🙂

      • Barbara, I am very sorry for your loss and can understand why you miss him even after a few years. Thank you for reaching out

    • My deep condolences for your loss, my friend.

  4. Happy International Women’s Day!

  5. I have very rarely felt heard when using my voice – that’s why I generally say that I’m better in print. It took a long time to learn to find a range between weak & tentative and too loud. Even my kids never seemed to hear me until I used a tone of voice that hurt my vocal chords, making people in grocery stores give me disapproving stares. Do you think they did it on purpose? 🙂

  6. Stan Kosick

    We all need and deserve to be heard.

    I hate having to raise my voice. I hate having to use my ‘dad voice’. I just would like to be able to speak my peace and be heard.

  7. I’m so glad you were resourceful and able to be heard. The loud noise inside Dunkin Donuts reminded me of the time I went to lunch with someone at work. The place we went wasn’t our first choice but before we went in she said, “At least it’s close.” When we got in the music was blaring and I said “AND IT’S QUIET TOO!”

  8. Debbie Terman

    What a time for your internet to go out! We really depend on good online access and being without is actually more than the “inconvenience” that the providers mention—it can be a show stopper! (Yeah, I know, what else are they supposed to say.) Your quick thinking saved the day. Phew.

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