Stop.
Really. Just stop for a second. Get still, and listen. Really, really listen.
My own soundscape is of a lulling conversation between two colleagues down the hall; the tapping of my fingers on a silvery keyboard (in concert with the clicking of keys from the office next to mine); cars passing in the distance; the gentle hum of the fans and energy in the building itself, and, if I get
really still, the whisper of my own breath.
I don't know about you, but this experiment makes me so aware of what I've been tuning out, and so sensitive to being a part of the buzzing, vibrating world of human beings around me.
The reason I'm thinking about this is because last week I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of
Ode Magazine's July / August issue. It's the first time they're trying a single-topic issue, and the result is simply wonderful. The whole thing is devoted to the topic of pure silence.
It includes some incredible articles, from a piece on stillness and sound in the business world, to the effect of noise on living tissue, to what it's like to experience a
negative-decibel environment. And since reading it, I've been beautifully aware of the space of sound around me.
Many of you (those who subscribed to Ode as a result of their last offer) will be getting your own copy in the mail soon. For those of you who don't yet know Ode, or who haven't signed up to experience it, they're still offering a
free trial issue. And if you're quick, you'll be able to register in time to get the beautiful special. ("An Ode to Silence," as I'd describe it.) You can find out then where the subject line of this email refers to. :)
The link, for ease, is right here. All you need to do is fill out your address and they'll send you a copy, and you can decide then whether to continue to subscribe. And if you do already, well, like silence, it
does make a wonderful gift.
And with that, I think I'll be quiet,
Siona PS. It's such a rich topic, no? Someone once said the first step to wisdom is silence. And while I was (quietly) paging through Ode, it came to me that silence is where the very creation of time occurs.
Do sign up, if you haven't already; I'd love to hear your own thoughts about the issue.
