In search of silence
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Ah, silence. It seems more rare and precious all the time.
Even when I’m surrounded by it, it’s hard to quiet the mind; my never-ending mental to-do list starts ticking off the next hour or day’s required tasks.
Sometimes I wish I could wrap myself in silence like a blanket and take a brief respite from the chaos of the day and my unending lists of things to do.
I would imagine that many of you feel the same way. In the fast-paced culture we live in, with ringing phones, fax machines, televisions droning on in the background at home and even in restaurants, it seems that silence, unless you’ve taken yourself to a remote location in the wilderness, has all but disappeared from our daily lives.
While I enjoy and readily utilize my cell phone, television, iPod, stereo (believe me, I love music), there is something to be said for quiet time.
Maybe that’s why some of my favorite pastimes are reading, jogging, biking and playing with my son. For the most part, these are fairly quiet activities.
Playing with my son, though far from a silent activity, renews my spirit.
And when my 1-year-old lies tucked into bed, snuggled warm and sleeping peacefully, that’s when my house is most silent and my odds for mental quieting are optimal. It’s the best opportunity I’ll get in day for a calming activity like reading a book. It can also be one of the most productive times of day for accomplishing unfinished business or lingering household chores. When the ticker tape of chores starts rolling through my mind, I jump to action to get them done, usually to the point of exhaustion. Once I’ve accomplished my household tasks of laundry, mopping, paying bills, and answering emails, I’ll sit down and finally be ready to enjoy some quiet, peaceful silence. If I could just stay awake long enough…
