How I found my voice again and you can too

It has been 4 years since I wrote. Apart from posting pictures on Facebook, there was nothing I was sharing. Initially I thought why share on social media, but I was not writing either. I realized I was not voicing my opinions on the things that felt unfair or angered me. Off-late, something has clicked. I analyzed why I drowned out my voice.

Society has changed, the world now lives in fear of writing/posting/video-taping against any crisis or political party. Voicing your opinion makes you an activist/feminist/anti-national and not just a person angered/ affected by what is happening in the world/ country.

As a woman it is worse. You are expected to listen, not interrupt, speak only when allowed.  After a while I thought, "why voice things when I cannot change it". But I realize this is wrong, in today's digital world, a post/a video/a tweet has the ability to cause shifts in conversations, in mentality/mindset. Physically you might not be able to help, but ideas/words have always shaped society for eons.

There are so many things that I feel upset about. Beginning from the lack of proper water storage in Chennai to rapes of 9 month old babies and of young children being separated from their parents in the Mexican Border.
Imagine those children, scared, hungry and alone. An adult cannot handle these, yet the world watches as children are subject to such abuse. All because their parents felt there was a better place they could survive.

I am not happy with the way things are shaping up in the present world. I teach my kid empathy, but the fear looms that the world is turning harsher by the day.

I now know, I have a voice. I have a responsibility to change what I don't like. I may be wrong, but I may be right and that's what matters. I found my voice again and I will not let it go.

I am of the belief, it is OK to voice out/interrupt if you have something worthwhile to say, doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman. Who makes these rules anyway? Be patient, listen, yes, but don't allow anyone to cut you down.

If you have something to say, think about it and then say it. If you don't voice what concerns you, no one else will. Most of the times, we are not alone, we just don't know the many others facing the same tribunals, having the same angers and humanity systems as us.

Find your voice, could be a post, could be a verbal "No", could be asserting your needs or thoughts with your partner/relatives/friends/work, it doesn't matter, find your voice and own it. You have a responsibility towards yourself and the world around you will follow.