Louder Than Silence

Summary

I have always been an incurable talker.

To what extent? When I was in kindergarten, my teacher gently suggested my mother take me to a developmental specialist just to see if my vocal cords had an off switch. In high school debate tournaments, my opponents would forfeit during cross-examination simply because they couldn't find a pocket of air to cut in. In college, my roommates bought three different brands of high-grade earplugs and wore them in shifts.

My mother used to sigh, rub her temples, and say that when I was in line for reincarnation, I must have stolen three lifetimes' worth of…