The art of silence has always eluded me.

For some people, a lack of words seems profound and noble.  For me, a lack of words is simply awkward and frustrating. For the most part, silence has always been just beyond my reach, ability and even my belief system.

Even though I understand that silence is often a sign of respect, I also know that silence can do more damage and cut deeper than the harshest words.

I’m not alone.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”  He also said,  “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Even the dictionary validates my belief that silence isn’t always golden. While the simple definition is “the absence of sound or noise,” the more complicated definition is “the absence or omission of mention, comment, or expressed concern.”

I’ve straddled and struggled with both definitions my entire life. My battle has less to do with my tendency to talk and more to do with my overwhelming need to call attention to injustice, wrongdoing and inappropriate, self-serving behavior.

I’ve been witnessing a great deal of such behavior recently. Yet, for the most part, I’ve remained silent. Even when people have asked if I’m going to write a blog about certain situations, I’ve said, “No, that’s not my role or responsibility.” Besides, my words could easily be misinterpreted as angry and bitter rather than caring and concerned. So I have decided my silence might be more powerful than words.

And so, the silence continues. This change in tactics is also teaching me a new art form: the silent blog.

I  think this one says a lot.

Silence is argument carried out by other means.   Che Guevar