Every Class

There is one in every class.  One in every job, train, elevator or group of people.  What is so seductive about a person's voice that their ears have to hear it all the time?  What is this love affair ones ears have for their own voice that makes talking more important than saying anything.  When do these people realize that silence is pivotal and necessary to learn and grow.  It is like they have this fear of losing their voice and they constantly remind themselves that they have one.  My ears cry when they are around these people.  The beauty that they think they are creating is physically painful to me.  I find myself trying to find ways out.  To find ways to beat them to the punch so my ears wont be bleeding by the end of class.  I have respect for these old hands at teaching that work through it and ignore little quips and questions like mothers to a child's wails or the family that lives by the tracks who can't hear the trains anymore.  I just want to stand on my chair and scream, "If you say one more fucking word my head will explode!"  But i don't. I sit, take notes, smile and listen to the nails on the chalkboard.