The Enjoyment of Silence

When I was growing up, my parents were never much for playing music in the car, Dad in particular. Even to this day he does not like listening to music in the car. Mom I remember listening to some music on the car rides into school when I was little, but for the most part our family car rides were silent. When I was a teenager and in college I resented this. I was really into music and would not drive anywhere without music blasting in the stereo.

The older I get the more truth I find in the adage that we become our parents as we age. These days I very very rarely put on any music in the car, or even at home. Something that used to be a huge part of my life is now only a small fraction. In fact, I rarely listen to any music that I don't hear on the TV show Glee first.

I have come to appreciate the value of silence. I don't listen to music in my car because I like to listen to my thoughts. When it is silent my mind is free to roam and I am able to focus, free of distractions. And I think that is the key for me. I like music, but I find myself almost enthralled by it sometimes. I get caught up listening to the beat and to the words and I can not pay attention to much of anything else. I have too much going on in my life to be like that for long stretches of time.

I know some people write to the sound of music. I have never tried and I just don't think it would work. I think I need the silence to get the words flowing. My brain simply works better when there is silence.

I was thinking of this topic today because the BF is back at school and I am left as the only human here in the apartment. And even when he is being quiet or in a different room, there is like this background hum to the apartment. Something about him just disrupts the silence for me. I have to get him out of the apartment to achieve the total silence that I like.