Week 3 In-Class Reflection: Silence

The silence today was unbearable… well that’s how it started. In a society in which we are continuously being overwhelmed with external stimuli time seemed to slow down to a crawl as we were forced to just sit there in one position and be silent. We live in a society that values our continual verbal response to what is happening. It happens in the classroom where we are asked to explain what things mean, in relationships where we are asked to give our opinions on things, and in countless other areas of life. Without words (either verbal or written) this would be impossible. But as time progressed there was a soothing and relaxing presence that embraced my soul. It was as if I was removed from society and in my own little happy place… looking up at a blue sky and the vibrantly green trees in the background, feeling the grass beneath me and overall being in touch with the Earth. Nothing else mattered and it was very peaceful. There were several interruptions, the plane flying by overhead, a fly deciding that my ear was a good pit stop as it travelled across campus, and sudden movements by people in my peripheral view all caught my attention and interrupted my silencing. However, I feel that I came pretty close to a complete silencing of my mind in the process. And afterwards, my senses were heightened and I keenly noticed details about my surroundings (people walking past, the physical environment, etc.) that I know I wouldn’t have noticed before. This made me connect to Henry David Thoreau’s Walden in which he sought out inner peace and deeper understanding about life by removing himself from society and moving into the woods (a concept known as Transcendentalism). Although I wasn’t seeking out any deep philosophical answers about life this silent reflection gave me focus and direction similar to what I believe he was aiming for.

Likewise, looking into Donovan’s eyes at the beginning felt extremely uncomfortable. I have acquired the association of looking into someone’s eyes for more than a moment with an intimateness (in other words it being a romantic gesture). Obviously, it can stand for other things but that is the one I have been conditioned to. As time went along though, I began feeling more comfortable and the act felt more and more natural. I was trying to understand what he was thinking about. I have a pretty good idea that he was thinking about the purpose of the activity and how much longer it was going to last, but I also observed a focus as if he was also trying to read my mind as well. Although I may have come up short on finding out more about him as a person I was able to read his cues and come to some understanding of what was going on. Therefore, I think the message is that communication can happen through silence and that silence (as importantly as words) is necessary for shaping our understanding.