Writers Dreaming

1. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou writes,  
"The caged bird sings
with fearful trillof the things unknownbut longed for stilland his tune is heardon the distant hill for the caged birdsings of freedom."
By this, she means the caged bird really only sings because it is longing to escape. The poem also states that the caged bird does not really even sing; it lets out a fearful trill or a scream. She writes about the contrast of the free bird and how independent it is as opposed to the caged bird. I think that as long as a person has it worse than someone else, even a little bit, they will always long for the better thing until they can obtain it themselves. A lot of people have dreamed of freedom, especially if they have something holding them back in life, whether that be disability, gender, race, sexuality, or any other minority, struggle, etc. Unfortunately, the reality is that not everyone can live to see a day when they are truly "free", and many generations will have to suffer their lives in a "cage" before later generations or groups can be free. The positive to this is that once they are freed, they can be free forever, and that's when hope becomes a huge motivator for those who are suffering.

5. When Angelou was sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend and he died a day later, she did not talk for five years because she thought that her words could kill. I would personally never do that because I've always been someone who is open about their struggles and I am honest about who has hurt me in the past. For instance, I was bullied in elementary and middle school for my hair and my last name. I always immediately reported the people who taunted me, and I proceeded to send an email to my friends and family about "ginger suicide rates" with statistics I got of of Wikipedia. As funny as that is now that I look back on it, I am still kind of that way now, just less extreme. I am pretty confrontational when I hear of someone talking behind my back or doing something to hurt others. 
When I relate myself Angelou's muteness, I do not think I talk too much. I am shy around those who I don't know very well, and I am definitely the "listener" of my friend group as opposed to the talker. I adore listening to people. I have actually asked homeless people to tell me their life stories in exchange for money. I have learned so much about humanity and how everyone has a different personality to bring to the table. I have also learned what types of personalities I do not get along with and how to coexist with them. 
Many of my closest friends are very outgoing, and I like to think I get along with almost everyone because people respond very well to interest in what they have to say. My ability to listen is also a reason why I want to be a psychologist. I think it is a skill that I have perfected, and it is really the only part of my personality I pride myself on.