Yes, old buildings have a voice. Our house was built in 1930 and had only one previous owner who raised her children here. Their voices whisper from the corners (and no, they're not ghosts!). As for silence around me, I have tinnitus, so there is never true silence. But sometimes, the buzzing in my ears creates a kind of barrier against the noises around me. Anyway, nice write-up.
There are days when I need silence. Absolute quiet. But, yes, you're right absolute silence is difficult to find and I wonder if sometimes when we say we want silence what we actually mean is, we want to hear natural noise, not man-made nonsense.
Nature is never bothering, birdsong on a quiet morning is lovely. But I think I’d rather say ‘natural sounds’ than ‘natural noise.’ The latter does have a connotation of something negative while Nature never is negative.
That's a very interesting way of looking at it. Because the sounds of nature and flowing streams, although not silence, are very peaceful and calming too, and aid reflection and deep thought... 😎
Silence is one of the primary conditions for our well-being and growth yet we have been so desensitized by the restlessness of alienating systems that we no longer appreciate the wisdom and depth behind silence.
Who yearns for inner clarity should observe periods of quietude and learn to listen to the subtle motions inside the body: the breath.
Well said! The world seems to be at war with the quiet. Silence, inward and outward, gets harder to find, more difficult to experience, and as a result becomes a greater and greater necessity.
Nature always speaks and communicates; we can only hear when we are silent. This is not easy, to silence our own thoughts, but with practice we start to hear.
Definitely! I used to do almost all of my work early in the morning, I still do frequently, but over the past few months I've started to do more and more of it late into the evening. There's an entirely different kind of calmness to it.
This is a beautiful collab Joyce and Duane ❤️❤️ We hear God, gratitude, hope and His gift of love - in silence.
I was up in the mountains yesterday for several hours on a portrait shoot. The stream was running like a loud gushing river. The birds were squawking, trees rustling. And we walked, climbed, listened. Not much needed to be said to bring out the joy of this young person I was with. The creeks and aches of my old damaged bones listened to the silence ✨
It’s always so lovely to be in our mountains. The wildflowers are blooming all along the road and it was a good winter, so the creek is running strong. My husband grew up in Mount Baldy and his brother and nephew still live there. It’s one of the last mountain holdouts in California that still has it’s two original eateries from long ago. Nothing else, except the little church. No gas station or store. We were married there and lived there the first few years prior. The road is a bit dangerous to commute to work daily though. Love that I could “meet” you and your work through Joyce! ox
Sounds gorgeous! Picturesque and idyllic. Mountains are the stuff of myth and legend here in Central Florida. There's so little of the natural world that hasn't been paved over here. I can only imagine how refreshing to be in a place like where you were.
It’s so close. We are in the city below. I love how it holds the beginnings of “us.” When I go up there I am reminded of that. Oh we must visit Florida! Always wanted to. My husband’s auntie lives in Oviedo.
ha ha! It's funny you said that because we have all the SoCal beaches here and we used to make many family memories there every summer. My skin now says "it's over!!" Long sleeves, long pants, covered shoes, large hat, stock in sunscreen.. is a far cry from the bathing suit days. <insert face slap>
I adore this, Joyce, thank you. It's lovely that when in Nature, the more you tune into silence, the more you hear, the more you become aware of the vibrancy of life. It's the same with your body, tuning into your heart beat, the gentle ringing in the ears, your cells and atoms working to keep you healthy and vibrant, every second of the day. Silence is golden, as Harun says, sending my love. 🕊️🕊️🕊️
Yes, Duane! It's another world and higher frequency of natural energy, reminding me of an essay I wrote here called 'the sense in sensitivity' and using all seven of our senses to experience joy and bliss.
Beautiful essay, Joyce.
Silence is golden.
So glad this resonated with you. The quiet is one of my greatest needs.
Thank you, Harun. It certainly is, in many ways.
Haha! I was just thinking of that song myself. By The Tremeloes... 😎
Yes, old buildings have a voice. Our house was built in 1930 and had only one previous owner who raised her children here. Their voices whisper from the corners (and no, they're not ghosts!). As for silence around me, I have tinnitus, so there is never true silence. But sometimes, the buzzing in my ears creates a kind of barrier against the noises around me. Anyway, nice write-up.
Thank you, AC 💙🙏💫
Such a beautiful description, thanks so much for this!
There are days when I need silence. Absolute quiet. But, yes, you're right absolute silence is difficult to find and I wonder if sometimes when we say we want silence what we actually mean is, we want to hear natural noise, not man-made nonsense.
Nature is never bothering, birdsong on a quiet morning is lovely. But I think I’d rather say ‘natural sounds’ than ‘natural noise.’ The latter does have a connotation of something negative while Nature never is negative.
Thank you, Fiona 💙🙏💫
That's a very interesting way of looking at it. Because the sounds of nature and flowing streams, although not silence, are very peaceful and calming too, and aid reflection and deep thought... 😎
That's a really good point!
Silence is one of the primary conditions for our well-being and growth yet we have been so desensitized by the restlessness of alienating systems that we no longer appreciate the wisdom and depth behind silence.
Who yearns for inner clarity should observe periods of quietude and learn to listen to the subtle motions inside the body: the breath.
Thank you Joyce and Duane
Well said! The world seems to be at war with the quiet. Silence, inward and outward, gets harder to find, more difficult to experience, and as a result becomes a greater and greater necessity.
Thank you! I agree 100%. Sometimes I think all the techy gadgets and phones are meant to keep us distracted and away from quiet reflection.
Exactly! Making space for silence is a radical act of rebellion.
There is a language beyond words, listen. ✨
So right, Kaitlyn 💙🙏💫
Perfectly said!
Nature always speaks and communicates; we can only hear when we are silent. This is not easy, to silence our own thoughts, but with practice we start to hear.
So very true, Perry. Meditation certainly helps me to focus on Nature and what she’s telling us. 💙💫
Well said!
Completely agree. I love the stillness and quiet at night. It's perfect for creativity... 😎
Definitely! I used to do almost all of my work early in the morning, I still do frequently, but over the past few months I've started to do more and more of it late into the evening. There's an entirely different kind of calmness to it.
Thank you, Joyce and Duane, for the beautiful, peaceful, thoughtful words and art ❤️
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me!
You’re welcome !
Thank you, Jenn 💙🙏💫
You are welcome!
Beautiful evocation of silence, Joyce. Love it.
Thank you, Heidi 💙🙏💫
Great work, Joyce 💙🙏
Thank you, Elliot 💙🙏💫
Always a pleasure 🙏
This is a beautiful collab Joyce and Duane ❤️❤️ We hear God, gratitude, hope and His gift of love - in silence.
I was up in the mountains yesterday for several hours on a portrait shoot. The stream was running like a loud gushing river. The birds were squawking, trees rustling. And we walked, climbed, listened. Not much needed to be said to bring out the joy of this young person I was with. The creeks and aches of my old damaged bones listened to the silence ✨
That sounds like an absolutely beautiful experience! Thanks so much for sharing!
It’s always so lovely to be in our mountains. The wildflowers are blooming all along the road and it was a good winter, so the creek is running strong. My husband grew up in Mount Baldy and his brother and nephew still live there. It’s one of the last mountain holdouts in California that still has it’s two original eateries from long ago. Nothing else, except the little church. No gas station or store. We were married there and lived there the first few years prior. The road is a bit dangerous to commute to work daily though. Love that I could “meet” you and your work through Joyce! ox
Sounds gorgeous! Picturesque and idyllic. Mountains are the stuff of myth and legend here in Central Florida. There's so little of the natural world that hasn't been paved over here. I can only imagine how refreshing to be in a place like where you were.
It’s so close. We are in the city below. I love how it holds the beginnings of “us.” When I go up there I am reminded of that. Oh we must visit Florida! Always wanted to. My husband’s auntie lives in Oviedo.
"The beginnings of us" - love that! You're not missing much in Florida, heat and sand, that's about it 😂
ha ha! It's funny you said that because we have all the SoCal beaches here and we used to make many family memories there every summer. My skin now says "it's over!!" Long sleeves, long pants, covered shoes, large hat, stock in sunscreen.. is a far cry from the bathing suit days. <insert face slap>
And I bet it did a ton of good 🙂
Thank you, Deborah 💙🙏💫🤗🥰
I adore this, Joyce, thank you. It's lovely that when in Nature, the more you tune into silence, the more you hear, the more you become aware of the vibrancy of life. It's the same with your body, tuning into your heart beat, the gentle ringing in the ears, your cells and atoms working to keep you healthy and vibrant, every second of the day. Silence is golden, as Harun says, sending my love. 🕊️🕊️🕊️
Absolutely right, Sue. Much love 💙🙏💫
That’s exactly it, isn’t it? Silence isn’t an absence, but a more robust and profound kind of presence.
Yes, Duane! It's another world and higher frequency of natural energy, reminding me of an essay I wrote here called 'the sense in sensitivity' and using all seven of our senses to experience joy and bliss.
Another world, not more distant, but somehow more immanent. Love that idea! I'll look for your essay, sounds so interesting!
Thank you, Duane. It may not yet be archived. I leave them public for 3 months.