There's a phrase we've all heard, maybe blown off, nor conceptualized.

"Children should be seen, not heard."

It's phrases like this that haunt me.

My parents never followed this, but at a young age some were taught your words don't matter. Because of your maturity level, and lack of education, not at your own disposal, everything you said did not mean anything. That you are better off not voicing your opinion.

In AP Psychology I was taught about the sub-conscience. How past events, lessons, and actions linger in the back of our thoughts and memories, even if we don't notice.

You may be an adult now, being over the age of 18. You can fight for your country, live on your own, be employed. You have responsibilities, a duty, a life, so shouldn't you have your voice?

I never thought what I had to say would be valued. I never spoke up in high school and said completely how I felt. Because who would care what I had to say? Aren't I just a small fish in the big sea. Sure, I am, sure you are, but lets look at the glass half full for a second, instead of half empty.

Not everyone is going to listen, comprehend, or value what you say. Your words wont reach everyone, but the people they do reach is pretty incredible. I didn't become a contributor for The Odyssey to have people read my work, as weird as that may sound. I became as a way to express myself, and to get what I was feeling out.

It has become therapy for myself, and what I did not realize was, it was to others too. When shit hit the fan in 2017 I always wondered why this was happening to me, why this, that, and the other had to happen. I heard many "I'm sorry's", which were much appreciated, but a complete stranger, who didn't know me as a person, but only what occurred, gave me condolences that stuck with me.

She told me everything is happening to you, so you can help the next person who goes through this. It took me weeks to decipher the meaning of this that was applicable to my situation. As much as I don't think it excuses death and other life events, it made me feel hopeful. That you, yes you reading this, might actually relate to what I say. That my mumbo jumbo may mean something to you.

Writing styles and platforms like this amaze me. The writers here at Odyssey are not experts on their content . We're real people, who write about what were passionate about, what we have gone through, and sometimes experience is the only thing that can educate you on life.