The thought of activism taking place in more private quiet spaces was interesting. The text brings attention to the forms of activism that can less visible but just as impactful – one that takes place in the form of listening. People often associate activism as voicing your opinions, making them heard. And people who remain in silence are, in many instances, shamed for not contributing enough towards the movement. The text, however, made me think further about the instances where silence is a necessary component for thoughtful activism to occur. What if silence is the product of active listening and learning, prior to voicing an opinion? What if silence is one healing emotionally from a traumatic event?

The privacy of the meetings allowed the group to listen to sounds of their choice, giving them a sense of control and power over how they engaged their senses in the midst of such political unrest and chaos. I think there is a lot of power in the line that describes

“listening as a necessary pause before thoughtful action”.

Thoughtful action is only possible after one has given time to think. And listening invites more ideas to fertilize the thoughts preceding an action. By declaring this pause necessary, Olivero describes listening just as important as taking action. This reading inspired me to become more sensitive to the sounds that surround us and further experiment with the medium for healing purposes.