--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hear. Nobody thinks so. But I do…" description: "\"“I hear. Nobody thinks so. But I do. Sometimes people whisper. Sometimes they yell. Sometimes they say mean things. I see more than the TV. It's my fri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/ellen-hopkins-475_afraid_i-hear-nobody-thinks-so-but-i-do-sometim_638007.png" --- # I hear. Nobody thinks so. But I do. Sometimes people… ![“I hear. Nobody thinks so. But I do. Sometimes people whisper. Sometimes they yell. Sometimes they say mean things. I see more than the TV. It's my friend. I don't have any others, like the kids on Barney do. Why are people afraid of me? I don't want to hurt them. I taste only the sweet air…” quote by Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/ellen-hopkins-475_afraid_i-hear-nobody-thinks-so-but-i-do-sometim_638007.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/ellen-hopkins-475_afraid_i-hear-nobody-thinks-so-but-i-do-sometim_638007.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/ellen-hopkins-475_afraid_i-hear-nobody-thinks-so-but-i-do-sometim_638007.png) > ““I hear. Nobody thinks so. But I do. Sometimes people whisper. Sometimes they yell. Sometimes they say mean things. I see more than the TV. It's my friend. I don't have any others, like the kids on Barney do. Why are people afraid of me? I don't want to hurt them. I taste only the sweet air, whooshed through tubes to help me breathe. If I'm lucky a bit of flavor comes with the wind or skin or clothes I smell. I wish my mouth would let me tell Mama I love her. Let me tell Daddy I ms him. Let me tell Shane how good I feel when I see him happy with Alex. I like when I swim because when I float, I am free. I like when I sleep because I dance when I dream. I hear, I see, I taste, I smell, I feel, I dream. ”” [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child with a disability feels isolated, yearning to communicate love and fear while experiencing the world through heightened senses. **In simple terms:** A disabled child wants to be understood and loved. Key Takeaway Seek ways to give voice to those who cannot speak. Themes isolation communication disability sensory perception family love Mood sad hopeful reflective Type personal emotional advocational When to use this quote - school counseling - family therapy - special education - support groups - advocacy Key Concepts neurodiversity empathy identity expression Questions to Reflect On - How can we better listen to non‑verbal cues? - What structures help disabled children express emotions? A Different Perspective The narrative may romanticize suffering, overlooking practical support needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Hear Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-taste-1611838/) [Tell Daddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-daddy-637863/) [Tell Mama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-mama-252761/) [Tell Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-shane-5127593/) ## Related quotes > [“I have heard that sometimes when a person has an operation to transplant someone else's heart or liver or kidney into his body, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-parkhurst/i-have-heard-that-sometimes-when-a-person-has-an-operation-to/) [Carolyn Parkhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-parkhurst/) > [First we have to see. Or first we have to be taught to see. We have to be taught to see here, because here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/first-we-have-to-see-or-first-we-have-to-be-taught-to-see-we-have-to/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [“It is through the filter of our ego that we give meaning to everything we see, touch, hear, taste and feel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyalwa-dokhampa/it-is-through-the-filter-of-our-ego-that-we-give-meaning-to/) [Gyalwa Dokhampa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyalwa-dokhampa/) > [And I don't wanna hear that it taste good One hit it, it's you feel it in yo face good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-ink/and-i-don-t-wanna-hear-that-it-taste-good-one-hit-it-it-s-you-feel-it/) [Kid Ink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-ink/) > [What we say has such a profound influence upon what we see, and hear, and taste of the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-abram/what-we-say-has-such-a-profound-influence-upon-what-we-see-and-hear/) [David Abram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-abram/) > [Mama never told me, 'Bess, you did good.' She wanted the best for us and she was an incredible administrator. She ran those three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-myerson/mama-never-told-me-bess-you-did-good-she-wanted-the-best-for-us-and/) [Bess Myerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-myerson/) > [“Mama let out a snort. “Talk about a nerve. I guess she’s too good for my house now. She oughta try to sell that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kelsey-moore/mama-let-out-a-snort-talk-about-a-nerve-i-guess-she-s-too-good-for-my/) [Edward Kelsey Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kelsey-moore/) > [You just know about me some thing, not every thing. Don't try to tell my mama everything. Screw you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelelina-wahwahchea/you-just-know-about-me-some-thing-not-every-thing-don-t-try-to-tell/) [Adelelina-WahwahChea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelelina-wahwahchea/) > [I'm your husband, she's my blessing (PT.75 of 100) If I'm not what you want then all you have to do is tell me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kidholliday-marigny/i-m-your-husband-she-s-my-blessing-pt-75-of-100-if-i-m-not-what-you/) [KidHolliday Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kidholliday-marigny/) > [“Dad used to tell Mama he hurt us because he loved us too much. She’d sit in her rocker and he’d kneel at her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-c-parker/dad-used-to-tell-mama-he-hurt-us-because-he-loved-us-too-much-she-d/) [Natalie C. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-c-parker/) > [“And I tell her about his description because I want her to know what I now know, which is that the place where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carola-perla/and-i-tell-her-about-his-description-because-i-want-her-to-know-what/) [Carola Perla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carola-perla/) > [He never said "Don't tell your mama." He never had to say it. I did not know how to tell anyone what I felt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/he-never-said-don-t-tell-your-mama-he-never-had-to-say-it-i-did-not/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [When I was 5 or 6, I used to tell my mama I wanted to be friends with Rudy from 'The Cosby Show,' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabitha-brown/when-i-was-5-or-6-i-used-to-tell-my-mama-i-wanted-to-be-friends-with/) [Tabitha Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabitha-brown/) > [“So you gonna actually do some work today or should I just tell Mama you’re headin’ on back to Pretty Boy Town?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lee/so-you-gonna-actually-do-some-work-today-or-should-i-just-tell-mama/) [E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lee/) > [“I’m serious too, Kate. You shouldn’t be working. You should be listening. I chose this playlist myself. It’s my grand gesture. To show you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/i-m-serious-too-kate-you-shouldn-t-be-working-you-should-be-listening/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) ## More by Ellen Hopkins > [“I've been alone since my mom met Scott. He sucked the nectar from her heart like a famished butterfly. No nurture, no nourishment left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-ve-been-alone-since-my-mom-met-scott-he-sucked-the-nectar-from-her/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [I wonder how long it would take him to realize I'm right as sin - it's the rest of the world that's wrong. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-wonder-how-long-it-would-take-him-to-realize-i-m-right-as-sin-it-s/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Do you know how beautiful you are?' I shook my head 'I'm not. But you make me fell like I am.' 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Hard left to nowhere,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/so-you-want-to-know-all-about-her-who-she-really-is-was-why-she/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“I don’t belong here. I know that. But I don’t belong anywhere else, either. And that is at the heart of the black depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-don-t-belong-here-i-know-that-but-i-don-t-belong-anywhere-else/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Six months since we met up again we are inseparable, an intricate weave. No longer do I believe this is a temporary fling. More…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/six-months-since-we-met-up-again-we-are-inseparable-an-intricate/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“But who ever said the easiest path is the one you should choose?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/but-who-ever-said-the-easiest-path-is-the-one-you-should-choose/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Afraid to Die Loveless Because I think if you die without knowing love in this life, that's how you'll spend eternity. Alone. Frozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/afraid-to-die-loveless-because-i-think-if-you-die-without-knowing/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Every high has an equal, measurable low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/every-high-has-an-equal-measurable-low/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Don't Stop ...down, ...Down there ...down where ...monsters, ...Run!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/don-t-stop-down-down-there-down-where-monsters-run/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) [Explore all 534 Ellen Hopkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I hear. Nobody thinks so. But I do. Sometimes people whisper. Sometimes they yell. Sometimes they say mean things. I see more than the TV. It's my friend. I don't have any others, like the kids on Barney do. Why are people afraid of me? I don't want to hurt them. I taste only the sweet air, whooshed through tubes to help me breathe. If I'm lucky a bit of flavor comes with the wind or skin or clothes I smell. I wish my mouth would let me tell Mama I love her. Let me tell Daddy I ms him. Let me tell Shane how good I feel when I see him happy with Alex. I like when I swim because when I float, I am free. I like when I sleep because I dance when I dream. 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