I don’t have an opinion that I’m willing to share 5

The cat will have my tongue more this year.  And my fingers will hesitate, too.

I will have few opinions that I’m willing to share.

Next time, I will not respond to the email dialogue about the lack of diversity in the speaker-candidates put forward.

I will not verbalize  the fact that I’m working at yet another place that has more than 100 employees but only 1 full-time person of color and 1 part-time person of color.

Minding my business.

When various friends ask what do I think about their kids, their situations, their partner-candidates, or their  clothes, I’ll just make pitter-patter utterances.

Zipping my lip.

When told “this is the way I’ve always been” I will not suggest that change is possible or desirable.

Not filling in the blanks.

People don’t really want you to fill in their blanks. They want you to listen.  Agree.  Accept that the way it is, is a-okay.

To make a suggestion, give an opinion or even just offer an observation is taken as criticism, as a judgment, as rbeing a boat-rocker.   It makes people uncomfortable and geez-Louise I certainly don’t want to do that.

I’ve realized that not everybody wants feedback even when they ask for it, even from an ally who has their best interest at heart.  Institutions can run just the way they’ve been running.  Mediocrity seems to be an acceptable level at which to function.  Pretending the elephant is not in the room is current practice.  Leave the naked emperor unclothed.

I won’t stop caring but I will stop sharing.

I resolve.