Day 3 - 302 -- Seeking Quiet

Quiet -- it can be oppressive or comforting. I prefer quiet when working or concentrating, though there are times that I plug in the iPod to block outside noise. The latter works best if there is a single task that will take an hour or more. Living in a small community, nights are much quieter than being in the city -- fewer sirens, street traffic and people noise (except on party weekends for students <smile>). When I visit in the city, I find that I wake often in the night due to outside noises. When I lived there, I slept through it all even living on a bus route twice. It is interesting that the mind learns to block regular sounds as we sleep. The trains that run through town overnight rarely bother me. When I moved here, I was happy to hear that sound. It reminded me of home since I grew up a few blocks from the main train yard.

Silence can come from within, as well. We may choose to hold back comments in some situations rather than add the extra noise or difficulty that the comments may bring. That can take training and a lot of self discipline at times, but it pays off in the end. Inner stillness can create a feeling of quiet internally. It is akin to being at peace, and allows one to think reflectively and reflexively -- or just to be a force for calm in a frenetic situation.

Part of a song that came to mind today asks for calm or quiet -- or maybe both. The repeated lyric in the chorus can sound a bit desperate when seeking quiet, but it may also reflect the urgency of bringing on calm in those trickier situations. Enjoy!

Hush -- Deep Purple