Sound of Silence

One of the biggest things I've learned hiking is to be comfortable in the silence. There are hours that go by where I hear nothing but very quiet nature sounds and my own thoughts. The silence isn't the deafening silence you can find among people, but a peaceful silence if you are willing to listen and accept it. I find healing and peace there, along with a sense of myself.

While I'm home I've been trying to recapture that silence, and it's a challenge. There is no silence like the trail here truly, but I can create moments of silence. In being home I realized how much of my life is surrounded with noise, sound, and music. I love music and the role it plays in accompanying my life, but I didn't understand how much I depended on the music until I had those long stretches without. I always have the option to hike with accompaniment, but I don't need it. The sound of silence is enough. To recreate this peace and communion with myself I've taken to driving to/from work in silence most days, that is unless the traffic is driving me bonkers... It's interesting driving in the silence; it gives me a chance to reflect on the day I want to have and then the day that I had without any influence from the outside. I'm alone with my thoughts and daydreams. And, at this point I am comfortable in that silence and the story that it creates.

For me it's moving beyond the Simon & Garfunkel song about separation and false images, but learning what can you discover within the silence. (Full disclosure, I prefer Disturbed's version more than the original.) In being comfortable with the silence I openly accept me, my imperfections and am forced to face my flaws and fears. In the natural silence of the woods and trail those flaws add to the perfection that is you. The opening lines to that infamous song "hello darkness my old friend" have become my refrain as I seek the silence. The darkness and silence truly are my friend during most moments. While there are moments in the silence that the anxiety threatens to take hold I can recall the peace of the trail, the smell of the forest and the wind brushing past me and in 5 deep breaths I can release the anxiety and focus again on the power of the silence. There is a magic in the sound of the silence if you only listen.