Have you ever been in a room for long enough that when a fan or AC unit turns off, you only then realize how loud it was the whole time? If no one was talking, you may have thought it was silent, then something turns off, or even the power goes out, and then you realize Oh... THAT's silence...
That's what it was like. Morgan and I live next to a busy, noisy street living busy, noisy lives (I'm a musician after all). We planned a short get away to visit some friends in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains for an annual get-together. We quickly paused our noisy lives, got in a noisy car, blasted noisy music most of the drive... Then we arrived. I got out of the car and closed the door.
That. That was silence.
Not the plug your ears kind of silence, but the life-stopping kind of silence.
No highway noise, no planes. Just birds chirping and the subtle wash of a distant stream. Later on there was plenty noise to be made with laughing and playing music, but even that didn't crowd the mind. It was an experience I haven't had in years.
Several times I would retreat to the creek and wade around by myself, looking up at the trees, trees that must have been growing taller and taller for longer than anyone alive. Morgan and I spent time just enjoying each other's company. Right then and there I decided this was my goal.
Not even because I'm an introvert at the core, but because I have a psychotic romance with nature. Real nature. Not the local park, but places that you can stand in, and not know what century it is, not for sure. I always imagine that I'm retracing the steps of some teenage couple from the late 1800s, or even a Native several centuries back. We'll never know their tales, their heart's desire. But I feel like if I imagine hard enough, I connect with the past in that way. It's humbling.
Even in the time since I got back, I've been too busy to get around to finally writing this blog post and posting the few good pictures I got. (under Photos - Snow, OK) Live is noisy again, but remembering the silence gives me drive. I want to live a life that's fulfilling, every last drop. So, now it's time to get to work to make it happen. Stay tuned for the latest project.