Do you just not have anything to say?

I found another reason why I can’t wait to leave this town. I am sick of being made fun of. My whole life, I have not been the outgoing, extroverted, person who jumps into a new situation with full force. No, I am the person who is quiet at first and slowly breaks out of their shell. Even when you get to know me, I can be quiet. I am a thinker. I contemplate. I think before I speak…most of the time. People do not appreciate this. They only become annoyed that I don’t speak.
Since I moved to Bartlesville, I have heard many phrases and comments and questions. Well, let me change that. I have heard a few phrases, comments, and questions that have been repeated shamelessly by quite a few people. I have been abashed almost constantly. I’ve heard sarcastic comments. “Ali, why do you talk so much?”, “Ali, shut up, no one cares!”, “Ali, geez! You’re talking my ear off.”; “Ali let someone else talk for once.” And then there are the serious just plain rude questions. “Why aren’t you talking?”, “Do you just not have anything to say?”, and my favorite “Are you shy?” Then they ask each other if they heard me speak a word in the last ten minutes and maybe I am scared of them. You would think that they could have thought of something new by now. Because let me tell you, I am sick of your old jokes.
I was always told: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” I’ve seen many fools in my time, and I have only lived eighteen years. And in my experience (correct me if I am wrong), fools talk quite a bit. They blab on about many things that they do not know of. They impulsively spurt out comments and suggestions that are irrational. They are the people that, when you are around them, you constantly think “shut up!” But do you ever say this? I sure don’t. I don’t know what the purpose of this little note is. Perhaps it is to finally speak about my frustrations with constantly being picked on and made fun of. I accepted it before. What else could I do? This is who I am. Deal with it.