Where did all of the silence go?
The world has grown so loud.
So noisy.
Where did the silent warrior go?
The screaming, the banging, the name calling.
The hurtful words and violence.
“You don’t care”, they say.
“You aren’t doing enough”, they shout.

I wake up, I start my day.
I smile politely to the barista at my coffee shop.
I say thank you and express my gratitude.
It is not enough.
At the store I help an elderly woman reach an item.
It is not enough.
I get home and see my neighbor outside.
They’ve just moved in so I offer my help.
It is not enough.
I listen to a struggling friend.
It is not enough.

Micro-moments and micro-bonds.
Tiny relationships forged with strangers.
Yet, it is not enough.
We once had silent warriors.
We once had a world full of good samaritans.
They were not enough.
Where did you go, silent warrior?

You helped people, yet asked for nothing.
You lead with kindness and understanding.
You were not political, nor divisive.
You did not sit by while the world burned.
You saw that a fire is not extinguished with gasoline.
You sensed that you cannot stop the spread with wind.
When there is no fuel left to burn, the fire dies.
You were silent, but your actions were not.

You drifted into lands and communities like a whisper.
You brought aid to the weak and elderly,
kindness to strangers, and dignity to the poor.
Yet, you asked for nothing in return.
You once stood sentinel to observe and guide.
But, your disappearance has given way to noise.

Perhaps it is not that you have gone.
Instead, we have chosen not to see you.
The fatigue of this noise has taught me to care less.
The algorithms have made it impossible to hide.
And the samaritan is on the last page of our search results.
Our attention never makes it past page one.
If actions are louder than words, then why is silence violence?
If we are supposed to lead by example, then why are acts of kindness overlooked?
Where are you silent warrior?

I can not take the noise.
I scream back for it to stop.
It doesn’t work.
I cover my ears, but that makes the mob angrier.
My own team is now shouting: you aren’t doing enough!
The chant grows louder, louder, louder.
I cover my ears, but I can still see.
I help another friend.
Not enough.
I help another stranger.
Not enough.
Louder, louder, louder.
Yelling, screeching, screaming preaching.
“YOU are not enough!”
I volunteer.
Not enough!
The silent sentinel stands no more.
Be angry, be loud, be sad, be proud.
There is no room for the silent activist.
The world is just noise.

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When did we stop valuing kindness, generosity, and small victories? I found myself muting the social media posts of even those with whom I have a shared value system. I’ve tried like hell to replace anger and hate with beauty and good news stories, just to remind myself that this world is an amazing place still. Sitting idly by is not a solution, and we have numerous examples in recent history to support this; however, sometimes action is seen in small, but meaningful ways. Not everyone can be the marathon runner. Sometimes we need the people on the side to hand out water bottles. You wouldn’t berate the water bearer for not running alongside you. Recently, a friend who is dealing with a lot of fear and anxiety did just that. She expressed a great deal of anger and disappointment towards her friends and family for choosing a different coping strategy to the current turmoil in our country. In her fear, she has also chosen to alienate herself from her support system and go blind to struggles of others, as well as to not see the positive contributions of her community. I hope that she, and others, might one day see the simple beauty in leading with kindness and service to others.