Loud

The world is a loud place; loud not just in terms of auditory sensations, but also in visual and other forms of stimulation, including tactile. However, visual and auditory assaults are probably the more common types we have to face day in and day out.

One day, I walked past a Catholic high school and, suddenly, an image caught my eye. A display board above the entrance to the school was rolling out colorful, electronic messages announcing that evening courses were now open for enrollment.

I was fascinated. Was it really necessary to be displaying such messages? Would they be useful in attracting students? If even a Catholic school, which I assumed would be more subtle in its actions, would do something like that, what could one expect of secular institutions?

Nowadays, it seems that, to be heard, we have to make loud statements We protest, prepare elaborate publicity strategies, create stunts and make dramatic moves for fear that, if we don’t, we will be ignored. Do we have to be loud to be heard? Does nobody care unless we are loud?

Everything and everyone is competing for attention. We are drowning in all kinds of sensory messages. But are all of the incoming messages useful or meaningful to us as we live our lives?

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.