Unspoken

Silence. For some people, it's painful. For a select few, it can be comforting, depending on the situation.
"Why don't you talk?" As an introvert I've definitely heard that one before. The answer is always a struggle. I could be snarky and say, "your conversation isn't worth it," but then I'm alienating him or her and that person leaves thinking that I'm rude. I could say, "because I have nothing to say." A lot of times, it's true. I'm not good at small talk when I can't add to the conversation, which means that usually some "awkward silence" accompanies my conversations.
I realize that silence makes people uncomfortable, and it sometimes leads me to ramble and then apologize for rambling.
I don't always feel the need to apologize for my silence. The majority of the people that I love thrive on conversation. Am I hurting them by stifling that? At times, that has probably been the case. I'm unsure how to fix that.
Introverts or quiet people are consistently labeled. "Aloof." "Rude." "He or she doesn't like me." That's not always the case. Give the introverts in your life space for silence. Explain to them that it makes you uncomfortable. However, they can only try so hard. They will not want to engage in what they view as meaningless conversation.
Thanks for reading!