AFTER a long weekend of binge-watching my favorite shows and indulging in some much-needed R&R, I woke up to find I had lost my voice. I hadn’t experienced any cold symptoms earlier, but my voice felt hoarse. It went from hoarse to non-existent. I could barely mutter a word or two, and my mind was in utter chaos because I couldn’t voice out what I thought or wanted to say.
Most of my generation knows Charlie Chaplin. He was a famous actor during the silent movie era. You might ask: “Silent movie? What does she mean by that?” Yes, how can a movie be quiet, right? To cut the story short, consult Google.
Dinner, which used to be a lively affair with lots of chika, turned into a Charlie Chaplin movie scene. All I could do was give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. It’s incredibly frustrating not to be able to talk when you want to. My brother said it’s like a silent movie reality show.
Now, what do you do when you see a pest you despise? Had it been any ordinary day, the neighbors would have thought there was an oncoming war. I kept pointing at the pest, but deep inside, I was screaming with all my might. Thankfully, my brother responded quickly, and that pest met its untimely death.
So, this is how it feels when the government takes away your freedom of speech. All you can do is write and write. But you can’t communicate with a colleague or a client through scribbles. Unless you’re good in sign language and it’s acceptable in your workplace, you’re out of luck.
The game of Charades came to mind. It’s another way of communicating using your hand. It sharpens your mind and makes you think quickly and directly to the point.
After that long weekend, my voice was still hoarse. Every time I answered my mobile phone, the caller asked for Mae or Ethel, as I wrote last week. I kept saying this is Mae. I no longer mind the “Sir” thing because I have always been a Sir over the phone. I didn’t even recognize my voice when I recorded it a long time ago—back in the days of cassette tapes.
Lesson learned? None. Realization, though, of how important our voice is—both literally and figuratively.
So, next time you find yourself voiceless, remember Charlie Chaplin and embrace your inner silent movie star. On a last note, maybe, just maybe, keep a notepad or an iPad handy for those moments when you need to scream but can only manage a whisper.
