Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

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Written by Darby Fitzgerald
Edited by Ivana Braga
Photo taken by Joseph Gilbert and used through a Creative Commons License
Photo taken by Joseph Gilbert and used through a Creative Commons License

From a young age, I’ve always been quiet. My quiet and sometimes reserved nature has often been mistaken for a lack of voice.  I’ve always had a strong voice, I just didn’t know how to use it.

I don’t necessarily believe that people need to find their voice because you already have a voice whether you know it or not.  Instead, people need to figure out how to use their voice.

My parents encouraged me  throughout my life to voice my opinions, speak up and stand up for others.  It hasn’t always been easy for me, but it is important.

I had teachers who also helped me use my voice.  One of the most influential people was my third grade teacher Mrs. Roberts. Some teachers would have a appreciated a quite, well-behaved child, but Mrs. Roberts knew that being so quiet would only hurt me. She encouraged me to speak up, engage others and share my opinions/thoughts  no matter how uncomfortable I felt.  Eventually with her help and the help of others, I learned how to use my voice.

Today, I find that I still have some trouble using my voice. But I remember that quiet, well behaved women rarely make history so it’s to my advantage to use my voice and be heard.

3 Comments on “Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History”

  1. I love this post Darby. Just for the sake of being devils advocate I would argue that the quiet people are the ones to watch because they are thinking and listening more thanks talking.

  2. First off, great title! That’s something I’ll definitely remind myself of. In my blog post I mentioned that having a soft voice didn’t have to mean that I would be soft spoken so I completely get where you’re coming from. Great point is deciphering between finding your voice and using the one you have. Good luck and I’m positive you’ll just continue to harness that voice of yours!

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