Silence is patient, Silence is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
In all seriousness, silence is a virtue that isn’t widely renowned. Spurts of silence in life are few and far between; even ten minutes of emancipating silence can be hard to come by. These lulls lead people to forget the merit of silence and good that nothingness can bring.
Not too long ago, I had my own run in with silence. This instance was not of my own accord, but merely a byproduct of my lifestyle. Over the course of three months, I performed in three extremely strenuous musicals, and lost my voice right before production week of the last of the three shows, “White Christmas.”
For outgoing people such as myself, silence doesn’t come naturally. It is for this reason, that I didn’t welcome this occurrence with open arms, but in time I picked up an appreciation for silence — a respect for the power it holds.
I came to realize that silence is a living, breathing thing. Silence is an outlet for the struggles too big to explain to others. It doesn’t ask for much, but if one keeps an open mind, they can find themselves enveloped in their own personal haven, one of epiphany and self-discovery. Personally, I found my silence to be cleansing; a necessary detox from the stresses that were dragging me down for so long.
From both a physical and mental standpoint, my hushed state gave me the peace of mind I needed to get me through one of the hardest weeks of my life. For once in my life, I found comfort in the prospect of me and my thoughts and was able to rationally sort out the troubles in my life at the time.
Moreover, my silence taught me about the people around me. I’m not saying that I’m a conceited person, but I certainly make an effort to have my thoughts heard. Silence allowed absorption — an omniscient recognition of those around me. When left to my senses, I gained more from the essence of people than I had ever picked up on before. This clarity revealed to me the ugliness — but also the virtue — of human nature. A much needed realization, in my opinion, that offered a wealth of growth for me as a person.
The vocal rest rejuvenated me for that final weekend of performances, but there is no doubt in my mind that my solitude left a more lasting understanding that I will always carry with me: silence is the simplicity we all need from time to time—silence is liberating, silence is healing, and above all, silence is golden.
As always, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @thehippestcat. Thanks for reading and happy new year!
