Speaking of Silence, Just Once

Just this week I’ve read two articles about silence, the need for it, – one in Newsweek magazine, the other an editorial in the local newspaper – and I’ve come across at least one newly released book, A Book of Silence, by Sara Maitland. And when I say this week, I mean the last three days.

All of this would and should make me feel very relieved because it’s the thing I’ve been odd enough to advocate for as long as I can remember – the thing I’ve unsuccessfully fought for since early marriage and family life; the thing I’ve known well by wanting it so desperately; the thing I’ve finally taken action to have and to hold for myself if not for those around me.  Silence.

I’ve always rejected the ever present cell phone, the stereophonic TV and music in the house, the earphones to pipe music or anything else into the eardrums while walking, etc. I’m very aware and unusually angry that one cannot pump gas, eat an expensive meal, grocery shop, get one’s hair cut, or wait for novocaine to kick in without the onslaught of piped in music or advertisements. But no one hears me! When my son was unusually stressed and overwhelmed during his first year of college, my plea and only advice to him was, just leave the cell phone for an hour, go take a walk in a quiet place, just one hour! I knew this from experience.

Now that people are talking about silence, writing books about it, publicly advocating it – uh-oh, I say to myself – it won’t be long before it becomes another national obsession – and every national obsession eventually becomes law.

I imagine there will be silence zones just as there are no smoking zones now. Silence will be enforced because, let's say, a study was done at a major university proving that it is good for us. Many people of the current generation, who cannot leave their cell phones or iPods at home for one hour, will receive grants and earn their PhDs by conducting such studies about silence and writing grand dissertations. We will all start talking about it – silence. How good it is for us. The media will report it ad nauseum.

Very soon an industry of silence will rise up – you will join a place called Savoring Silence Hostel (SSH) in which you pay to sit or lie down in a dark quiet room for an hour or more. Or perhaps you will pay to take a walk in a quiet forest. Noise cancelling earphones will be the craze for holiday shopping. People will compete to be cool in this way. An industry that offered us cleaned water, cleaned air, and supplementary nutritious foods (because we no longer have those things which humans took for granted until 50 years ago) – well, they will see a market for silence too.

Eventually the CDC will declare that we must have silence for good health. Some roguish Senator will make her mark in history by advocating these so-called silent zones. Laws will be passed. Signs will be made – I imagine a large ear in a red circle with a wide diagonal line marked through it. That means, Don't Listen. Or maybe three successive right-parenthesis-looking curves to indicate sound waves -- that means, No Sound Waves Allowed.  Eventually it must be enforced, and that means police officers . . . time in jail . . .

When I was a young mother and inundated by sound, I would often imagine time in jail – provided I had my own cell or solitary confinement. I used to think: ah, silence . . . my food prepared . . . no vacuum cleaner . . . no TV or radio . . . time to read and write . . . lights out early . . . a full hour designated for fresh air and exercise. Anything less would be considered cruel and unusual punishment, right?

I won't join the bandwagon that talks about silence.  I won't even say -- Just do it!