The Butt of The Joke

As a teenager, there was so much pressure, from peers, and people around. That was a time where we all were growing into different individuals, and having been united in growth all this while, I didn’t quite know how to handle the individual differences that were racking our bodies at the time.

Growing up, among girls there was this obsession with having a tiny voice. Everytime a girl with tiny voice had an altercation with the boys, there was something cute about how she would be teased for her high pitched voice, and so many of us, who were found lacking in that area, tried as much as we could, to achieve it. Even if it meant that someone who is just one seat away, had to strain their ears to hear.

So, there was this one day where I randomly decided I was going to activate the tiny voice within me. The actual plan was to reach school and stay quiet all day. Only speaking with my tiny voice, when I needed to of course. The plan was going well, and no one actually disturbed me, till the first period. The teacher back then, was one who usually overstepped boundaries, and talked however he wanted, to students.

That moment, he was teaching, and many people weren’t paying attention as usual. So it was surprising, when he suddenly pointed at me, amidst one of his rants, to ask a question. Still embodying the version of me that owned a tiny voice, I proceeded to answer in the softest, and high-pitched way i could conjure. I continued explaining whatever I was explaining, trying to subdue my original voice. Later, I would come to realize that I was doing a very bad job at it.

Luckily for me, the man said nothing, and since I’d answered his question correctly, he let me be. It wasn’t till he’d left the class, and my classmates began mimicking how I’d spoken, that it became glaring how much I’d messed up. They taunted me for months, emphasizing how stupid the mere idea of faking a voice was. As is typical of secondary school students, they were brutally honest, and gladly went as far as exaggerating, just so I didn’t repeat such ever again.

Being the butt of every joke made during that period helped me realize how stupid I was, and I think it taught me contentment. Ever since, I’ve been very careful with my approval traps. Apart from regular agreements, to opinions i stood against, i didn’t really do so after that. I’m glad that phase is over now though.

Thanks for reading.

Image above is mine.