The Value of Silence

The problem with only talking when I have something meaningful, funny or intelligent to say is - I never get a word in edgewise.

That's because the capacity that others have to blather on about nothing for extended periods of time far exceeds my ability to interject something of substance at precisely the point that they need to come up for air. They know not the value of silence.

I'm comfortable with silence. I like silence. I am silence starved.

I never feel compelled to force a conversation, to talk about the weather or any number of other mundane, silence depriving subjects just to break the tension. I have no tension. I have peace and quiet. I have the gift of your presence and all that it tells me without you ever having to utter a word; and I have silence. Something I relish.

I was walking down the hallway beside a coworker the other day, and spoke not a word save for "hello" until she broke the silence with, "You sure are quiet today." I responded, matter of factly, "I have nothing to say", and she seemed quite intrigued by the idea of it. Only talking when one has something to say. Hmmm...

Of course, when I do have something meaningful, funny or intelligent to say, I say it with all the passion and intensity of a Baptist preacher on speed. And there's one other form of speech I take to new depths - sarcasm. So, I guess I should add that I usually only try to say things that are meaningful, funny, intelligent or sarcastic.

Judicious use of speech is always my goal, which is not to say that I always meet it. But quite honestly, you'll probably never hear me give a weather forcast for the upcoming week, a detailed recollection of the movie I saw last weekend, or an in-depth analysis of the current bond market. I may not always be interesting to talk to, but I'll never be deadly...

Posted by Cranky at May 02, 2002 06:45 PM