There was a moment once—small enough that anyone else might have forgotten it, but heavy enough that it still sits in the back of my mind like a stone I never picked up.
It happened during lunch at school. I was sitting with a group of people I wasn’t really close to, but close enough that I wanted to feel included. Everyone was laughing, talking, and trying to be louder than the person next to them. It felt normal, until one of them decided to make a joke about another student who wasn’t there.
It wasn’t an obvious joke, not the kind that gets you in trouble. It was subtle—just a few words, a smirk, a roll of the eyes. But it was mean. Too mean. The way they said it made it clear they weren’t laughing with that student. They were laughing at them. Making fun of how they dressed, how they talked, things that didn’t hurt anyone.
I felt something sink inside my chest.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWcAcKYfLi
I knew it was wrong.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDUM2ga4lI
I knew it wasn’t fair.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB38sb2X0SA
And I knew that if that student heard those words, they would have gone home feeling smaller than they deserved to feel.
I should’ve said something.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLFocW5VLI
Even something simple like, “That’s not cool,” or “Leave them alone.”109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdvhMUk88C
But instead, I stayed quiet.
Not because I agreed—because I was scared.
Scared they’d turn on me.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Rrz0zvMMb
Scared I’d lose the little bit of acceptance I had at that table.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzJAcrAjGa
Scared of being the only one who didn’t laugh, the only one who cared.
My silence felt heavy. I kept my eyes on my food, pretending I didn’t hear anything. But I did. Every word. And the worst part was knowing that my silence made me part of it, even though I didn’t want to be.
Later that day, when I saw the student they joked about, I felt that strange twist in my stomach again. They smiled at me, completely unaware of what had been said. And I realized something important: sometimes staying quiet feels safer, but it doesn’t feel right.
I still think about that moment.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlsOaWsbPJ
Not because it was huge, but because it taught me something about myself.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwuioWWi6h
It showed me how easy it is to stay silent—and how hard it is to live with that silence afterward.
Next time, I want to be braver.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksbl42mg2b
Even if my voice shakes.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFv4xK4HYEY
Even if people look at me weird.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd00i7NFRx6
Even if I stand alone.
Because doing what’s right shouldn’t wait for courage to feel comfortable.
ns216.73.216.33da2
and then Add to home screen.