When I was younger, I remember very vividly that when my parents weren't getting along, my mom would blare ABBA albums so loud that you could hear the music throughout the house. The sound was almost deafening and I often wondered why that particular music carried such significance to her because it seemed to be her go-to music. After the music stopped and things seemed to calm down around the house, I would go and look at all the albums she had to see if there was something else she could possibly listen to whenever she was in a mood. Among the Kenny Rogers, Johnny Mathis, Juice Newton, and ABBA albums, I was captivated by the cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. There is nothing really special about the cover except that Art Garfunkle has an epic hair-do that anyone can admire. To be honest, at that point in my life, I really hadn't listened to any of their music and didn't know much about their genius until years later, but Garfunkel's hair always stuck with me. As a middle-aged bald man, I am sure that you can understand why I appreciate his style so much. What I didn't understand, however, is why my mom didn't choose to go with this album when she was upset. Out of all the awesome music that Simon and Garfunkel created, Sound of Silence seemed like a way better choice than The Winner Takes it All by ABBA. I guess it just comes down to each person's preference and they find out what works for them.
The other night, I was sitting on my deck next to the fire pit and was listening to a podcast. It was a particularly challenging day and I was searching for something to take my mind off of the experiences I encountered that day, so I thought that listening to someone else talk would take my mind off of my racing thoughts. When the podcast was over, I realized that I wasn't feeling any better and my mind was still racing. It was at that moment that I took my ear buds out and just sat in the dark, listening to the silence around me. To be fair, it wasn't really silent, but it was a lot quieter than what I had encountered during the day. The sound of silence was healing because it gave me the opportunity to slow my mind down and experience the moment. I could hear my heart beat and I was able to monitor my breathing. I was being intentional about living in the silence and it worked.
I realized at that moment that I don't take time to enjoy the silence enough because I get so caught up in the noise that surrounds me on a daily basis that I forget how cathartic the silence can be. I spend so much time trying to replace the noise with something else, that I forget that the sound of silence is actually a good thing. I'm sure that Simon and Garfunkel had another thought in mind when they penned the song, but music is art and can be interpreted in a variety of different ways. For me, it means taking the time to slow down and embrace the silence. It means that for a moment or two, I don't have to think about anything else but myself and my existence at that moment. I don't need to blare the music louder like my mom did, but rather, I need to look inward and focus on the sound of silence.
#FORWARD #FORGE
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