Day 11

Silence creates a lot of opportunity for growth and insight, where it is otherwise clouded in distraction.

Today I participated in a day of silence. I was extremely strategic in carrying out this task, in that I wanted to make sure that I had some moments of social interaction to truly test my assignment.

I never quite realized before how many people you interact with in a day. Almost immediately after joining the real world this morning in the ever-popular game, "Don't Run Out Of Gas," I was greeted by a kind man who asked to pump my gas for me. In order to acknowledge his request, I simply nodded as politely as I could. It was almost comical the way I tried to convey words through slight changes in my eyebrows or smile.

However stressful being out in public may have felt, it became very clear to me that it didn't matter that I wasn't speaking. I don't really think any one of the people I encountered today even noticed. They may have walked away from me thinking that I was slightly rude, but not being able to put their finger on it.

Could it be that we are just too self-centered to even stop and wonder about those people on the other side of our conversations? Do we really pay attention to what others are saying and conveying? I questioned this all day long.

I suppose that this became a very powerful lesson in listening to others and remaining aware of those in my path. It is sort of a struggle because, on one hand, nobody really exists outside of how I realize them; but on the other hand, the world around me (and its inhabitants) is what shapes the very being of who I am. Go figure.