Silence is Golden

Several years ago I was visiting my parents in Nebraska. I went to see them in the house where I was raised. It's nestled inside the boundaries of a small town, but only a stone's throw from open fields of soy beans and wheat. Those fields are where I spent a large percentage of my childhood. But I digress.

This particular visit was in the dead of winter and it was extremely cold. One night, well after dark, we lost all power for no apparent reason. Everyone on the block was blanketed in darkness. There were no porch lights. The street lights were out. There was no humming of transformers or flourescent lights. It was dark....and it was quiet................very quiet.

I don't remember the exact reason I decided to wander outside in such a bitter cold (probably to find out why the power might be out), but what I do remember is this; it was a clear night, not a cloud in the sky. You could see stars beyond your wildest imagination because the sky wasn't littered with artificial light. It was wonderful.

I took in a deep breath of the bitter cold, gazed into the sky and listened. I didn't hear a sound. It was deathly quiet. I can remember thinking about what a rare opportunity this was. I was truly enjoying the moment, when my ears picked up something I hadn't first noticed. From a distance, nearly 5 or 6 miles, I could hear the faint sound of cars and trucks rolling down Interstate 80. As much as I tried not to be, I was instantly saddened to realize how really difficult it is to find true quiet in a world full of noise. Sure, it wasn't loud or overbearing, but it pierced the quiet blanket of night all the same.

Being in absolute quiet is difficult even if you can find it. Without the distraction of music or television or video games or honking cars, you're left to listen to whats going on inside. That can be disquieting in itself. Sometimes I don't like the thoughts racing through my brain. Sometimes I just want whatever is in there drowned by 10 decibels of ZZ Top or Cooder Graw. But other times, more often than not, I prefer to listen to those thoughts. The time I have in my truck with the radio off is sometimes the only opportunity I have to listen to what's going on with me. It's important that I listen even when it isn't comfortable.

I think we all need quiet time. I only wish we had ways of finding absolute quiet. Sadly, I think those days are mostly gone in an overpopulated society. Sure, you can find it. But it may take a noisy jet airplane ride to get close to a place of solitude. All I'm really saying is this. Take time to enjoy the quiet. If you don't have a quiet place, just do the best you can.

I'll bet your brain and spirit have a lot of great things to say. Take time to give them a voice without distraction. You might like what you hear.