Golden

They say...Silence is Golden. I say...Who are they? and Do they really know what silence is?

I woke up this morning, earlier than usual and noticed how quiet it was. It was quiet but not silent. These days, with the roar of TVs, radios, Ipods and other mechanical noise makers, I wonder if anyone really knows what silence is. Well, other than those who are deaf and cannot experience the joy of sound.

Sitting in my living room, while everyone else is snoring, moaning or otherwise making their sleeping noises, I listen to the sounds of silence. The hum of my laptop. The louder hum of my refrigerator. The tapping of my computer keys. The tick-tock of the clock. My Tivo makes a noise. A little tapping, a repetitive ti-ti-ti-tip, ti-ti-ti-tip, pause, ti-ti-ti-tip, ti-ti-ti-tip, pause.

The people up stairs are beginning to move around, their footfalls above creak the wood below their feet. The birds, the early birds in search of a worm. There is a high pitch whistley sound I can't quite capture. When I listen for it, focus on it, it goes away but when I dont listen, it is there. The heater begins its cycle to keep my toes warm. My kittie, asleep on my lap, squeaking with each exhale. The water rushing through the pipes signals the beginning of the wish for silence. Silence that really isn't ever there. Do we really want that complete silence to be around? I think not.

Complete silence would mean death. Because, even the deaf can hear themselves think.