“In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light…” — Mahatma Gandhi
If only we could find the path that leads to that clearer light. Instead, all is cacophony — blasting from our television sets, our computers, our video games, our cell phones, our radios, our ear buds.
Escape is futile. When was the last time you sat in the waiting room – be it Jiffy Lube or the emergency room – and not been subjected to some television set attached high on a wall holding forth with some sort of inanity? Could be the news, could be fluff, could be a combination of both. No matter. There is no way you can change the channel, or, more blessedly, turn it off.
And when was the last time you ate in a restaurant that was not all clatter and chatter, amplified along with some sort of piped-in late ’80s soft rock soundtrack? Forget carpeting and tablecloths. Today’s modern restaurants exude all the ambiance of a warehouse, from their concrete floors to their exposed ceilings and pipes.
Granted, it’s more fun eating in a boisterous place than one that’s quiet as a tomb. But when you have to shout at your dining companions in order to be heard, maybe it’s easier to just eat in.
Ahh, sweet escape – ‘long as you don’t turn on the TV, especially this time of year. Have we ever been “treated” to a more clamorous election season? And it’s not just Donald Trump and the rest of his GOP opponents.
Not sure if I’m feeling the Bern or not, but I sure am feeling his scoldings — too loud and never-ending. Hey Bernie, I didn’t cause the Wall Street meltdown. Hillary, too, can deliver a message just this side of screech, though newscasters who say this flirt with accusations of sexism. Please, please, please, can’t we all just tone it down?
Cacophony isn’t only annoying. It can also be bad for your health. According to a recent Huffington Post article, noise pollution can lead to high blood pressure and heart attacks. On the other hand, reports the Post, “research has found that silence has the opposite effect, releasing tension in the brain and body.”
Heaven knows I try to escape with my walks, either in the desert, or in the summer, in the woods. How lovely to hear only the sighs of the pines in the wind, or the caw of the raven. That is, until another walker approaches, chattering away into his or her cellphone.
Other times I am able to escape inside the walls of my home. Just me and the hum of the refrigerator. Only when it cycles to off do I realize true silence.
Years ago, I wrote about a sleep room where patients suffering from insomnia go to seek relief. The room is utterly dark, utterly silent. No night light. No ticking of the clock. No street noise outside the window. I managed to lie on the bed in that room for an hour, not to sleep but to absorb, and report.
Frankly, I found it a little unsettling. Maybe this is what death is like, I thought. No sight. No sound. Only silence.
OK, so maybe a little noise isn’t so bad after all — if only that could be managed in today’s tumultuous times.
