The necessary quality of quiet

Silence.

Or rather, ambient quiet.

It's been a very busy week, filled with lots of sounds, many of them from a sometimes disgruntled but often just chatty toddler. Add to that the usual television/radio/street noises, and it's been a sort of jumble and cacophony of sound. Even the almost constant hum of the air conditioner and assorted fans are part of the mix.

Not today. The only sounds right now are the faint tapping of my fingers on the keyboard, a muffled hum from the cars going by (not frequent, it's still pretty early on a Saturday), and the hum of the A/C. I need stretches of quiet just as much as water and sleep. 

When Meg was quite small, I would pick her up from daycare on my way home from work-- just past lunchtime-- and we had a deal. I would tell her that I needed 20 minutes of quiet time, during which she could play or read quietly in her room, and then we'd go and do something fun together. It worked like a charm. She learned to respect other people's need for personal space and she also learned how to self-regulate, and to switch from group mode to home. Children and parents (and grandparents!) need to be able to transition from one mode of being to another, and I believe a bit of quiet is in order. No radio. No talking. Just dwelling for a little bit. I suspect that the jangling nerves and short tempers so many of us are carrying would be lessened a whole lot of we just stopped the noise for a while. 

I don't understand when people have to have their ears plugged up, constant streams of music or what passes for music threading into their brains all of the time. Or those who get up and turn the TV on immediately. I enjoy the ambient sounds, I listen for bird songs, I don't mind the little shushes of the dog sighing in her sleep, or the fridge turning over, or the neighbor's horse whinnying. I get a huge smile on my face when I hear the next-door-rooster crow. He seems prouder than proud about something, and I'm happy to rejoice with him.

Quiet is important to my inner peace. I love music, I enjoy a few things on the TV, and I'm very happy to talk with people-- just not all the time. This will likely surprise a few folks who know me; I used to get poor marks in "self control" and I do tend to talk a lot when I'm with people. I'm genuinely excited to have conversations! But I also need those uninterrupted stretches to recalibrate. I suppose that's what people in my public life don't see and would be shocked by. And to ask for quiet time is often mistaken as me being cranky. I equate it with asking for a glass of water. 

Today, I think I'll keep the noise to a minimum. I want to do some house chores, and I want to bake some bread. I have maybe one errand to run, and I know I'll run into people and so on, but then, when i return home again, I get to control my surroundings. I'm truly looking forward to it. 

Have a good day,

C