I didn’t lose my voice. I didn’t have
any errands to run outside the home. And I had a free Friday where Super
Husband was away on a backpacking trip. Anyone else smell opportunity?
My intention for this day of silence
included not speaking and avoiding any unnecessary noise, such as music, TV,
and radio. Relaxed silence and ample time for introspection, productivity, and
refreshment.
It wasn’t as easy as I’d imagined.
I had my weekly Skype date with my
sister planned for Friday afternoon, so I started my “day of silence” on
Thursday afternoon. At first, it was incredibly refreshing! I came home from
work and, rather than turning on the news or a TV show, like I’m wont to do
while making dinner or doing other chores, I got right down to my to do list.
While I claim to be a great multitasker,
I’ll admit, things went a lot more speedily without the distraction of TV or
even music. (Hey, I’m a dancer, and “background music” finds its way into my
feet when I’m supposed to be doing something productive like dishes.) As things
started to wind down, I faced my first “what now?” moment.
Evenings are usually spent with Super
Husband—watching one of our favorite TV shows, sharing about our days, making
plans, going over the calendar, or talking about anything and everything! So
what now? In this realm of silence (or relative silence, given the road noise
right outside our door), it's easier to “do as the
Pioneers did” and just go to bed when the sun sets! What a concept!
Friday was easy at first. Since I’d
already been silent for over 12 hours, I didn’t feel that tug for noise. You
know what I mean? I’m an introvert, so I often feel like I have to warm up the voice and mind to talking
that day. Otherwise, I find myself stumbling over words and abandoning all
grammar! Sounds a little weird, but for me, that’s why I like to turn on the
radio or an audio book during my drive to work. So it was kind of nice to
abandon that practice and just keep quiet. Feels like staying in your
pajamas all day.
It actually felt as if my hearing perked
up, too. I became more aware of the hums and creaks of our house, the tweets of
little birds in our bushes, the rustling breeze through the leaves, and the
gentle swish of the neighbor’s sprinkler. Silence of the mouth seems to mean
improvement of the ears—or just hearing, in general. It allowed me to hear the
NON-silence around me as well as the loudness of thought. I find myself
thinking more about people in my life, and turning over thoughts or ideas I’d
pushed aside in busyness.
Just when I started getting really
comfortable with the silence, I started noticing the music still playing…in my
head! Bits of songs and lyrics kept cycling through as I sat on our porch
reading travel books or folding laundry. And as the last few hours of my
“silent day” wound down, I found myself humming! (Oops!) Sometimes a little
laugh would escape me when I stumbled across a funny memory. And yes, I
accidentally talked to myself at one point, wondering aloud why something or
other was out of place…
