Silence

"If you can't get quiet enough to hear yourself, your life is too loud." ~Terri Guillemets

Last Sunday the pastor quoted a mystic as saying that she wanted to speak only if her words improved upon God's silence.  What an intriguing thought.  I reviewed some of my recent words and found them lacking -- in improving on God's silence.  What if we each decided to speak only if our speaking improved the situation?  It would be an amazingly different world.  Much less said.  Much less hurtfulness.  It has been my practice for a long time to speak only if I discern that what I have to say is in the best interest of the other person to hear.  As a human, I fail in that commitment; but -- by staying away from gossip, criticism, and judgment, my task is made easier.  Let us consider today speaking only if our words can improve upon the silence.  Otherwise, let the silence prevail.  Peace to you.

Listening to an NPR program (I missed the researcher's name), a researcher said he had put to musical notes the sounds of the droning of machines that surround us in today's world.  Some of the sounds were enhancing to the human spirit; others were damaging.  It was the researcher's microwave drone that was the most damaging sound.  He said we are the first generation of humans to be surrounded always by sound, other than those sounds of nature -- and he thought the effects were damaging.  People thought Dwane and I were foolish to move out into the woods -- and it is more work in some ways -- but I love the sounds of silence that surround me.  Is there any place where you have silence?