Chi se fa pecora, 'o lupo s' 'a magna

If you don’t stand up for yourself, someone will always be ready to take advantage.

The lady at the market and her silence

At the market there was a lady in front of me who couldn’t say no. They gave her the bruised fruit, they gave her the wrong change, and she said thank you. When my turn came I spoke up, and the tone on the other side changed right away. On my way out I saw her again, standing still by the stall, her bag clutched to her chest, looking at the ground. I told her that next time she had to speak up too. She smiled and said she couldn’t.