The Voice Unheard

By
Anelyn E. Labadan, T-III
Bulua National High School

“The youth is the voice of the next generation.“ This seems a new line but the thought
may be old to some. If the youth represents tomorrow, then their voice must at least be
heard…NOW.
It pains a lot when you speak and nobody listens. It is comparable to a teacher giving
lecture to an uninterested audience or a student explaining his idea to an unbelieving teacher.
The missing link here is that nobody dares to listen. It doesn’t mean regaining the sense of
hearing. It implies we need to discern the unspoken message of the younger ones today. They
have minds of their own. They are aggressive, fun, creative though stubborn and willful
sometimes. They initiate noise when they think they are unattended. They crave for attention.
They need guidance but most of all they need love.
Sad to note that people can just easily stereotype them in a negative way. Let us not be
indifferent to the youth. We must be generous in giving guidance, ego upliftment and
understanding. They are young and they need to experience on their own the pangs of life.
With that “baptism of fire”, they may be able to reshape the future. When they are led to the
path of discovery, their voice may have gotten sense. Let us listen to their unspoken pleas, their
confusions, fears and visions for tomorrow. Only then that we find meaning to the voice that
was once unheard.