I read a great article this morning from Standpoint Magazine online called "Silence, Please".
(Hat tip to Justin Taylor's blog).
Here's a quote:
"Reading a book quietly, watching a raindrop slide slowly down a windowpane or a ladybird crawl up a leaf, trying to hear the sound of a cat breathing when it is asleep, asking strange questions, such as, "Where do all the colours go at night?" and speculating about the possible answers — all of these are best done in silence where the imagination can flourish and the intricate minutiae of the world around us can be examined with the greatest concentration. If there is a constant jazzy buzz from which no one ever frees them, and which distracts and diverts until they are confused and then rendered punch-drunk by aural stimuli, children become unsettled and anxious — and life is an anxious business for them at the best of times."
I think it's appropriate to post this in light of my other post about music. I am definitely learning to enjoy silence more. I could even imagine running without my iPod, and just listening to the sounds of traffic, people, and wind. What I like most about this article is the writer's explanation of such a diversity of sounds. It reminds of the beauty of listening to the news on the radio (NPR) - instead of just showing images, the journalists have to describe things - more work for my brain to figure things out (a good thing).
