Silent Sanity: Choosing Silence Over Consequences

Keeping silent is often a delicate dance, balanced on the thin line between self-preservation and truth. Throughout life, there are times when maintaining our silence is essential, for our own peace of mind and for avoiding severe consequences. Here are a few personal anecdotes illustrating just how critical it can be to keep our mouths shut.

Experiencing the Unseen

One of the most significant incidents I must recount involves a time when silence could have prevented the loss of much more than just an argument. During my childhood, around the age of five or six, I experienced something that many would find chilling, though it was a young girl’s reality.

My mother purchased numerous dolls for my collection, each sitting proudly on a shelf in my bedroom. Late at night, I regularly heard whispers coming from the room and sensed shadows moving around, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. The dolls became an object of dread, as I believed they watched me and could move at will.

One night, these whispers increased, and I sank into my bed, pulling up the covers to shield myself. Glimpsing through a small gap in the covers, I saw that the dolls' heads were slowly turning my way, their eyes blinking. Terrified, I screamed for my parents, but my voice was drowned out by a more urgent situation. On that same night, I had an accident on my bike, hitting a bus. The realization that I had soiled myself did not bring comfort, but the fact that I chose not to speak about it, distinguishing it from the supernatural encounter, brings clarity to the choice between silence and self-harm.

The Basset Hound’s Tragic Fate

Another poignant story comes from the 1980s, during my marriage to a man who struggled with mental health issues. Our shared tragedy involved one of our children’s beloved pet, Sam the basset hound affectionately dubbed "Mr. Spit." This nickname stemmed from his habit of getting dirty by shaking his head, splattering anyone nearby with saliva.

The incident began innocently enough; my husband wanted to go on a trip in his pickup truck, and Sam was resting beneath the rear wheels. Typically, Sam was slow to move. However, one day, my husband, with a menacing look, headed out, and I hurried after him, trying to move Sam out from under the truck.

As my husband started the truck, Sam was run over. Before I could react, he backed up and ran over Sam again. My husband then entered the house, while I struggled to free Sam and urged him to take the dog to the vet. Horrifyingly, my husband returned with a gun. I tried to take the gun from him, but he threw me to the ground, beside the injured Sam. From there, he shot the dog twice and then coldly stated the only thing I should tell our daughter was that Sam had been run over by a truck. Mentioning the truth would put me in danger.

Revelations and Closure

This harrowing experience was compounded by the subsequent years and the discovery of the extent of my husband's mental instability and sadism. His own family, tragically, had covered for him, allowing his cruel tendencies to continue. It’s a reminder that some darkness can go unspoken and that sometimes, to protect ourselves, we must choose silence over speaking the truth.

The stories of these experiences illustrate a stark reminder that in certain situations, the silence we keep could be the very thing that keeps us safe. Keeping these incidents hidden was a silent act of self-preservation, even though it meant burying parts of the truth. In both cases, silence was a choice between life and consequences that could be far worse.

These stories serve as a testament to the power of silence, and the consequences of speaking out in situations where the truth may not always be the safest path.