Elected Silence, sing to me
And beat upon my whorlèd ear,
Pipe me to pastures still and be
The music that I care to hear.
--Gerard Manley Hopkins, "The Habit of Perfection"
John and I spent a quiet night at home yesterday, drinking tea, talking, listening to the rain, reading poetry. It was lovely, and I was surprised by how much I wanted to resist it--the quietness. I've gotten too used to constantly doing, watching, listening. I suppose I must retrain myself for stillness. Even for quiet, book-loving folks like me, it is all too easy to get pulled into our busy, technology-obsessed culture. We forget how to be still together (or alone, for that matter).
It's unfortunate, for these quiet moments are what change us, allowing us to open up to new ideas, to really hear one another, to reflect on our lives and take stock. Without quiet nights together, we drift, we forget, we fail to live on purpose.
