I have spent my life trying not to get in trouble. I don’t like getting in trouble, I don’t like being scolded or punished, I don’t like people being mad at me. Along with that, I don’t like it when people shove their opinions in my face—or down my throat—so I tend not to do that to others. I don’t like people throwing elbows, so I tend to keep mine in.

That makes me, what, nice? Diplomatic? Agreeable? Perhaps. It also makes me a bit of a coward. Or misunderstood.

(What it doesn’t make me is popular, or healthy, or happy. Huh.)

So here I am, 60 years old and still afraid to speak my mind, to voice a contrary opinion. Afraid to offend. Why? I don’t agree with everything I read, and feel plenty offended sometimes, yet I just keep my mouth shut? For the most part, yes. Because, quite simply, I don’t want to push anyone away.

In fact, I aim for the contrary: I try to bring people together, to create a room where all feel welcome, where we can find common ground. That remains vitally important to me—in fact, more important now than ever. Yet, remaining silent on any topic that is remotely controversial or divisive is no longer serving me. My silence can easily be interpreted as complicity, and that isn’t good, either.

There is too much happening to remain silent.

I can hear some of you thinking, “Oh, Anne, why must you get political? You’re ruining everything we enjoy (or tolerate) about your writing. Just keep it light. Keep it universal.”

Well, here’s the thing: it’s not political.

• My belief that we all have a right to exist just as we are isn’t political—it’s moral.
• My view that we are granted stewardship of this earth and not dominion over it isn’t political—it’s philosophical.
• My response to losing a giant chunk of our retirement savings in 2 months (not the fear of it but the absolute reality of it) with no end in sight, isn’t political—it’s practical.
• My desire to retain my right to free speech—and my vote–isn’t political—it’s personal.
• My understanding that “liberty and justice for all” means FOR ALL isn’t political—it’s fundamental.

Sorry friends, I cannot stay silent all the time. I never intend to make anyone uncomfortable with the things I say here—truly, I do not. I still aim not to offend. I just can’t hold everything in all the time: if I am not trying to make things better, then I am automatically allowing them to be worse. My kids deserve better from me. They deserve a free and verdant life; they deserve to exist; they deserve the same opportunities their grandparents enjoyed. I can’t stay silent and watch their futures blow up. I can’t. I won’t.

You may disagree with me. That’s fine, I disagree with you sometimes. But you might find that we agree. You might find that, regardless of who anyone voted for, we have a lot of common ground. I hope that is true.

This is not to say I that everything I share here will be accompanied by a raised fist, it just means that sometimes, I’m gonna say what’s on my mind. Please hang in here with me when I do.

I named my website after a song that implores me to “Say what you want to say/And let the words fall out/Honestly, I wanna see you be brave”. So yeah, 10 years in, it’s time for me to challenge my cowardly heart and speak up. I’m 60 freaking years old, our world is in freefall, people are in real danger, and my kids’ futures are at stake, as are yours. If not now, when?

Time to be brave. After all, it’s a free country.

Isn’t it?

© 2025 Anne Murphy and thewordsfallout.com. All rights reserved.

photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash