Craving Quiet

Some days I just want to find somewhere quiet for five minutes.

Just a patch of space where I don't hear any conversations, music or machinery.

Not complete silence. The sounds of life going about living are okay (birds, insects, critters... the lapping of water on the shore, the rustle of wind in the leaves), but nothing that is the result of mankind making stuff.

I don't mind sharing this space of quiet with other people - it's not their presence or breathing I object to, just the noise. If we're all there for the hush, then that's a lovely thing. Let us come together in quietude and be there in companionable stillness.

Some days, I really need it. Just a place where I can sit and be still and not have to zone out a constant barrage of voices and construction sounds. And it really gets me down that I can't find it.

I often have this need for a short break in hubbub while I'm at work. I go for a walk to find a nice quite spot, only to find that there's nothing out of reach of the noise. Even if I can find a place where people aren't gathered in conversation, I can't get away from the noise of machinery. The nicest spots to rest are beset with the noise of construction work, or giant generators, or air-conditioning vents that create a ridiculous amount of noise...

When you do find a place that's reasonably quiet, a couple of people will see that as the place where they can finally talk.

I'm craving a garden or a courtyard in the shade of a big old tree that's just a meditative space for people who understand the value of stillness. Something with moss covered walls to deaden the sounds of the world beyond, and plenty of green things to create a natural hush.

Just give me a moment or two to properly rest.