Helping Skill #6: Silence

    The first meeting with the girls was different in the way it was new. Of course it was going to be new, not because they are strangers to me and the whole group, but they are different than us in several ways and sometimes that can be uncomfortable and awkward. For me, I know I felt a little weird it didn’t make me uncomfortable, but it made me felt awkward. I didn’t know what to say other name introduce myself and maybe talking about a little about myself. For example, when we were in groups I noticed there was a lot of silences, not just in my group, but in other groups as well. Sometimes it wouldn’t be for long, and others would last a little longer. When we had silences in my group, it gave me the time to gather my thoughts and think of what I could say.  Even if it were things like what do you like to do, what subject do you like and/or good at, how old are you, and questions that were appropriate to ask. I remember with one of the silences, I asked one of the girl what subject they were good at and what makes them good at the subject. That silence allowed me to “open the floor” and figure out what to say and get rid of the awkward silence.