No. - Written March 4, 2006

No.

A simple two letter word. Supposedly.

We usually learn to say this word as young children. We hear enough of it from the adults around us growing up. No means not having that extra sugar in the evening. No means not staying past our bedtime. No means not getting that pink jeans that all the coolest girls in class have.

As children, we also learn quickly to become comfortable with this word. We were quick to say No to brushing our teeth. We were quick to say No to eating our vegetables. We were quick to say No when we are asked to do our homework.

Somehow, as we start to become adults, the level of comfort with the simple, one syllable word thins out. All of a sudden, the word means disappointment. It means hurt. It means inability and rejection.

For such a simple word, so much emotion is depicted.

No is no longer simple.

As I grow older, I am not sure whether I should stop believing that No remains to be that simple word we were all once so comfortable with.

Today, I say No because I cannot. I say No because I am not comfortable, or I simply do not want to. Face value. It does not mean I care any less! I just merely know what my capabilities and weaknesses are.

Experience is slowly teaching me that as I grow older, No becomes a whole different language that I need to decipher. Silence has replaced No.  Maybe has replaced No. Ignorance has replaced No. Somehow, it is easier to act rather just utter a two letter word.

I wonder at what stage in our lives did we start becoming uncomfortable with this word....both hearing it and saying it. When did we start losing our capability to articulate to each other our thoughts? When did we start losing our capability to understand each other and accept each other, without any emotional judgement involved?

I am hoping that, as adults, we can all find that level of comfort once again that we had as children. I am hoping that a gracious "No, Thank you", "No, I would rather not", "Thanks, but No thanks" or "Sorry, not for me" would soon be the language that we all speak, understand and accept. Face value.
Maybe, one day, as adults, we will learn to stop complicating something so simple.