They Weep Instead...

If Walls Could Talk, Would We Want To Hear What They Have To Say? As history has been told, and wall after wall began to unfold, we have become knowledgeable about the stories of humans… building walls, climbing the walls and breaking through walls - around our planet. In pursuit of dreams, privilege and power or personal desires to achieve something beyond THE WALL itself. Inner walls, outer walls, walls that protect countries or stand upon the foundations of our homes - they all have a story that is told in a language of their own - weeping through the cracks they reveal much.

If Walls Could Talk, Would We Be Able To Process The History That They Hold? In Biblical times, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and claimed success as “The Wall” came tumbling down; while “The Great Wall’ of China, built by Chinese emperors to protect their territory, took 2,000 years to build and stands at 21,196.18 km long – a source of pride and grandeur to date.

If Walls Could Talk, Would We Want To Witness Their Trauma? Many have sought freedom by risking their lives, escaping over “The Berlin Wall”; meanwhile, the "US-Mexico Border Wall” witnesses the longings of foreigners to run from impoverished conditions, unite with family members and/or to achieve the American Dream. The wall has seen those who survived and many who have perished at it's feet.

If Walls Could Talk, Would We Want To Share In Their Reality? Let us not forget the walls that hold prisoners in institutions or kidnappers that torture souls in the very basements of our neighborhoods; and the numerous "unsolved" mysteries that only the wall can solve. Wherever it stands or the reason for being built, “The Wall” has seen it all, from births to deaths, murder crimes to thefts, from the beauty of life to unimaginable horrors endured; one must wonder if maybe the walls can talk but speak a language of their own. They simply choose to weep because the secrets that they hold are simply too deep.

Though the walls are many, they share the same name and meaning: a structure (as of brick or stone) meant to enclose or shut off a space; especially, a side of a room or building. It is no doubt that they have seen more than any one human can even imagine.

We assume they do not speak because we think in terms of verbal language but consider that they have a language of their own. Through the holes, cracks and the decades and centuries of witnessing the history of our world or simply sheltering us in our homes. Human behavior at its best and worst has been unveiled in the presence of walls.

If walls could talk, and speak our language, I doubt that words would even capture the essence of emotion absorbed into the fibers of the building material at the core of the wall. Maybe if we listen more carefully, ears against the cracks, hearing the language of the weeping walls with our eyes, hearts and imagination and then, change the way we behave within our walls our world would be a better place.

If walls could talk, they would grieve uncontrollably in a language that we can understand. We would bear the shame of what the walls have endured and witnessed at our hands.

If only we were more conscious about what goes on within our walls, regardless of whether we can hear the wall speak or not; we should act as if the wall could tell our deepest secrets and punish bad behavior.

The next time you see any wall, look for the peelings and the cracks and wonder what it knows and why it weeps - remember to be a symbol of light and hope behind every wall where you reside - let the wall speak to you.