FInding the Happy Life: In Appreciation of Silence!

Silence is my friend; silence is my companion.

At times I wonder whether the word silence is really appropriate, or if I should be using the term stillness instead. Maybe it doesn't matter; maybe I am really referring to both. They feel simliar. and yet different...

There are moments when I am alone in the house; where I walk around and wait for the silence. That silence comes in those rare moments when the heater is not running, the refrigerator is not running, it is not windy outside, there is no sound of rain falling on the roof, no sound of water running through the pipes and all I hear this silence.

For as long as I can remember, I have sought silence. With the absence of sound, it sometimes seems to be the only place I can find true peace.

I've told this to a few people over the years, and they have asked things like “How can you stand to be alone like that, in silence with nothing but the roar of thoughts inside your head?”

What roar?

When I find the external silence, the inside of my head is as still as the environment around me.

Evidently this is somewhat of a rarity. I don't know, for sure. But people tell me. But since I'm not having their experience and know only my own, all I can say is “I don't know.”

The appreciation of silence and stillness is not something I have developed with age. I remember seeking silence — and I mean actively seeking silence — when I was as young as maybe 5 or 6, trying to get away from the construction sounds of the house I grew up in. My parents "hand built" the house, so it was noisy for several years.

Many years later, maybe starting around my college days, I remember my favorite things about Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and sometimes the 4th of July was the fact that I could go for a walk by myself and when I listened — truly listened — I could hear how the volume of the background sounds of human industry and commerce had significantly been turned down.

It comforted me in some way, and I would stand someplace and simply listen to… the sound of nothing at all.

For the most part, the only aural intrusions I tolerate — or even welcome — during my periods of silence is a quiet atmospheric and perhaps a little "moody" musical soundtrack in the background, just playing softly, adding its own dimension of peace.

I've often read about this thing gurus and psychologists typically describe as "being at one with your surroundings," and perhaps these moments are as close as it is possible to get to that.

I have much gratitude for the moments of stillness, because in our hectic and always-moving world they are quite a rarity. I take them as they come, and I value the healing they bring me.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you're having a great week!

How about YOU? Do you enjoy silence and stillness? Or do you prefer things to be "happening" around you? In what state do you feel most contented? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — NOT A CROSSPOST!!!)
Created at 20210426 23:58 PDT
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