"Are you ever quiet?" "Why on Earth are you so loud?" "Can you just shut up?"

Those are just a few of the statements I find myself hearing rather regularly, since I was a little kid. One of my earliest memories is being sent to sit at a table by myself in the first grade. Why am I so loud? Honestly? Who knows. Maybe it's because I've done theater my whole life. Maybe it's because I come from an odd family. But at the end of the day, being loud is a part of who I am. Here are a few things that you might recognize if you too grew up loud.

1. Your whispering is a normal person's talking.

People will try to talk to you in class, but soon realize that they have to give up. When you whisper, it is at normal talking volume for anyone else. You've gotten others and yourself in a fair bit of trouble due to the volume of your voice.

2. You've gotten in more trouble for talking then you have for actually doing anything bad.

For myself, being loud is as much of a vice as talking too much. Having a naturally loud voice and a tendency to chatter tends to be a bit of a downfall. If you talk a lot and you're loud, you're always the one who gets heard, even if your friends are talking too. No, you don't get suspended or anything like that, but you do often get quiet time by yourself. And for you, that's worse.

3. People tell you that you should do theater.

I, personally, have been performing in the theater since I was seven years old. My loud voice comes in handy when I'm on the stage. But, some people are loud because of their anxiety, or other reason that make it very difficult for them to be on a stage, or even speak in public. Loud does not mean theatrical.

4. Your family is just as loud, or even louder.

When you tell people that your family is just as loud as you are, they find it hard to believe. How could anyone be as loud as you? But when they meet them, they finally understand. Loud tends to be genetic, although it doesn't seem like a trait that could be passed down. Must be something in the air!

5. Yes, you know you're loud. No, you can't help it.

People tend to think that you're being loud for some sort of reason, whether it's to be heard, or just to be unique. But most times, people are so used to being loud to even realize that they're being loud until it's pointed out to them. Pointing out the volume of someone's voice of them tends to be more of an embarrassment than a realization. Unless someone tells you to point out when they're being loud, you should not point it out to them. It just hurts.

Being loud is a huge part of my personality. It's just as much a part of me as my eye color or height. It isn't something that I can change, or something I would even want to change. My voice is what makes me who I am. It's what I use to tell my mom that I love her. It's what I use to sing and act and perform. It's what I use to call my kitties over to me, how they recognize me before they see my face. Sure, it's loud, but it's me and I'm proud of it.