The Sound of Silence

I grew up with a good-sized family. There were five kids, two parents, and quite often a slew of cousins, aunts, and uncles. I was used to noise. I liked commotion and busyness, and I loved parties. I did homework with the TV on in the background, and I couldn't have it quiet. Biology just couldn't be read without the radio on. I needed noise.

That all changed when I had my third child. I have three boys. Three raucous boys, the last one being by far the most raucous of the lot. For the first few years, the level of sound didn't bother me. I could ignore whining with the best of them. I craved quiet. I needed silence to think. To function. But for years, I could barely catch a moment.

The other day I was sitting in one of those funky chairs in my building on campus. I was ready to put my earphones in to listen to a book on tape. Many of the other students were donning earbuds, though I wasn't sure what they were listening to. Before the buds reached my ears, I stopped. I need a silent moment, I thought. I needed to think about the next steps for me to take regarding my degree. Big decisions.

I didn't receive answers during that hour, but my mind was able to rest. Not only that, but I think a tiny person got into one of the crevices of my brain and swept out the junk. It altered my way of thinking. I adopted this habit for the rest of the day. I kept my earphones out while I was making dinner. I kept the TV off while I studied. I heard the words my kids said, instead of considering them background noise. I learned so much.

No, I haven't kept up with this, but I decided I need to have a day like this about once a week. We all need to reset at some point. While I love listening to audio books, music, and Frasier, they are distractions. I do need them. But I also don't need them all the time. If I'm going to make decisions that help myself, my husband, or my kids, I might not find the answer in Julie Kagawa or Imagine Dragons. I might need to put everything down and pointlessly browse Pinterest while letting my brain work. I like doodling too. It doesn't necessarily get me anywhere...or does it?

In order to survive this crazy world, we need to take time to stop. Really. I'm totally serious. It doesn't have to be big. Stop what you're doing for one minute. 60 seconds. Listen. What's going on around you? Are your kids talking? Your co-workers? Is it silent? Do you hear the footsteps of a pair of boots on a tile floor? Do you hear a random comment that lets you know your friend really is having a difficult day? Do you hear the excitement in your kids' voices while talking about going to see Avengers next year? Soak it up. Because I'm not sure what it is, but it will change you.

It changed me.