Thursday Nights and the Things We Never Say

Some words are difficult to say, not because we don’t know them, but because saying them forces us to confront something we’d rather avoid. We tiptoe around them, letting silence do the work of erasure. Yet, the words we refuse to say shape our lives as much as the ones we do.

Think of the past! How often do we rewrite it in our heads? We downplay mistakes, smooth over regrets, tell ourselves it happened for a reason because the alternative, admitting that we should have chosen differently, is too uncomfortable. We never want to say, I wasted years in the wrong place or I betrayed my own instincts. But refusing to say it doesn’t make it less true. It only makes it harder to learn from.

Then there are the decisions we avoid, the ones we dance around because making them means accepting change. We hesitate to say, I’m done or This isn’t working because those words come with consequences. Staying undecided feels safer. But silence is a decision too. And often, it’s the one that costs the most.

And what about the words we never say when it matters? The moments we should have spoken up but didn’t? It’s not just about personal relationships, it’s about defining who we are. Maybe we let something slide because we didn’t want conflict. Maybe we nodded along to something we disagreed with, convincing ourselves it wasn’t worth the trouble. But those moments add up. Over time, they blur the line between who we are and who we’ve pretended to be.

The truth is, the things we never say don’t just fade away. They become the quiet of our lives, influencing the way we think, react, and even the choices we make. Every time we avoid speaking up, we reinforce the habit of silence. And eventually, that silence becomes who we are.

So, what’s worse? Saying something too late or never saying it at all? Admitting to mistakes or living in denial? Taking a stand or losing ourselves in silence?

Although Thursdays are for throwbacks, we might equally throw some words in the bin without ever revisiting them. And maybe, just maybe, that’s for the best.

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