Sophomore Prepared to Divulge All Personal Secrets to Fill Awkward Silence

As of Saturday afternoon, Lara Simmons (C '21) came to the realization that she was prepared to divulge all personal secrets in an effort to fill an awkward silence.

Throughout her life, Simmons has known that she’s an over-sharer but only realized the full extent of her dilemma this past Saturday—when she found herself discussing her cousins longtime battle with bipolar disorder within the first ten minutes of a “low-key hang” at the house of an acquaintance from one of her clubs. 

Over the course of the evening, Simmons opened up about many of her deeply-held beliefs and stories, occasionally after request, but often unprompted.

“I showed up, grabbed a drink, and next thing I knew I was talking to a guy I had never met about what my feelings on God were. I didn’t even know how that happened,” said Simmons in a quiet moment of reflection in her apartment after the party. “It was just instinctual. The conversation lagged for a second and boom—there I was talking about how I believe heaven is made-up but how I think it’s a good way to ease humans' fear of inevitable death."

Upon reflection, Simmons realized she was okay sharing almost anything about her life story if she could dodge a quiet moment. She noted that the personal details in her life she was willing to divulge included “even the stuff my mom said was not for public knowledge.” 

“Maybe I’m a little too quick to act, but the silence is just... I can’t handle it.”