Silence

Silence. The absence of all noise. The sound of peace and solitude. The feeling that reverberates through everything and nothing. Silence can be loud.

It filters through the senses, mind and body. Invading even the loudest of our thoughts. Or sometimes, it is the reason our thoughts get so loud. In our fast-paced society, some crave silence, yet others avoid it. It is a choice not all are privilleged enough to make.

They say that one who seeks silence is one who has reached the zenith of their existence. They encompass themselves with peacefulness and solitude. One with a quiet mind has accomplished everything. Yet there are some who cannot be one with the silence. Those who find it too loud to bear, too overwhelming to cope with. It drags them down, belittling them and overpowering all their senses until they are left with noting but a craving for sound.

The first breath you take upon waking, with the trees outside your window and birds singing softly to break the silence. The epitome of calmness, which is still considered silence. Silence need not be complete absence of noise. You do not have to hear a pin drop for it to be considered a silent room. Silence can be found even in the loudest of noises.

A professor's booming voice, who, when he pauses occasionally, reveals the silence underlying his words. A quiet examination hall, interupted by the occasional rustle of paper or stressful sigh. An empty isle in a grocery store, a house without human habitation, a desolate town after peak hours. Even with the presence of life around, silence can be maintained.

Quiet has its own sort of beauty, as does sound. Each are their own elements, bringing peace and destruction along with it. Every individual prefers either of these two, or seek a combination of both.

We do not cherish silence. At schools, teachers tell us to be quiet. At work, being quiet is a requirement. Why must it be taken as a chore or an obligation? We only turn to silence when we have nothing to do. People tell others to be quiet because they are thinking, but how much of that thinking is actually done in silence? Is silence really a requirement to get one's thoughts in order?

Silence is a concept not all can hear or bear. It is the aftermath of calamity, a ringing silence that pierces through all. It is up to the individual whether they want to seek it or hide from it.