A Different Voice

Laryngitis is frustrating for anyone afflicted.  It's perhaps particularly stressful for those who:

• talk every day as a major part of our jobs (me)
• live with someone who has hearing issues (me)

Amazingly, I conducted a customer presentation on Thursday and conducted a scheduled United Way conference call, with unimpaired voice on Friday.  However, the next time I answered the phone, only a whisper escaped.  Fortunately, I was able to convey the desired information to my caller.

My voice had been threatened for 2 days.  It started with a sore throat and progressed to coughing through the night.  I feel blessed that my full voice was unimpaired for my presentations.  However, once my scheduled obligations ended, so did my volume.  My body sent a very silent message that I needed a break from the non-stop activity of my work week.

Whispers, touch and hand signals gave a different voice to the rest of my day.  Despite my lack of volume, I was able to successfully complete many interactions. 

Touch, eye contact and hand signals supplemented the audible voice I lacked.

No Voice?

There are countless instances when we feel like we have no voice in what is happening in the economy, politics, bureaucracy and weather.  Realistically, our small voice matters in everything previously listed, except the weather. 

Though we lament our lack of voice, when we're actually silenced we truly appreciate our voice.  My friend, and former boss, relied extensively on verbal communications until his vocal chord was nicked during heart surgery.  His lengthy recovery was challenging, but provided different ways for him to express himself, and opportunities for his direct reports to fill the gap.

For years I was plagued with an annual bout of laryngitis.  As frustrating as this was, since my life and livelihood involve communication, I found other ways to be heard. 

We have no voice only when we choose not to exercise our many ways to be heard.