Something About Silence

I live in a big city. Cars revving and honking, people talking and crowding. These are just a couple of reasons my days are full of sound.

I am on the phone a lot for work, and fill my days with podcasts and music. At night, I spend time talking with my wife or perhaps watching something on TV. Very, very little quiet time, even if some of that is self-imposed.

Yesterday I had a chunk of time with almost complete silence, and it was stunning. 

I went to some trails not far from the house for a little walk in the rain. Due to that rain, I did not wear the usual earphones and therefore had nothing playing into my ears as I walked. It was Sunday, so the little bit of traffic and construction that the area usually sees was also not present. Silence. 

I could not believe how good it felt. I also could not believe how little of it that I get these days. I suppose my 5:01 a.m. wakeups provide it, but even then I am reading the news or working on something. I do not notice the silence as much in those moments. But this walk was different and it was great.

We all need more of this and we should all seek it out if we don’t already. For those of you who get many moments of silence, I hope you don’t take it for granted.

Enjoy the day.
-Houston Bailey (@BumpBailey)