The pace of life has now become so fast that today becomes history within no time. The long hours when time seemed to stand still are vestiges of the past. Then people would have the time to sit still, either at noon after lunch or at the end of the day’s work. It is anybody’s guess if the time would have been spent in good discussions or idle gossip.
Slowly the humble radio which used to be heard only from the village headman’s place or the nautch girl’s house turned commonplace, and later made way to the omnipresent TV even in the unlikeliest of dwellings. For some, switching on the TV as soon as they reached home became a compulsive habit, irrespective of whether they were anywhere near the TV or not!
Cars and trucks move about with blaring loud music and honking rude horns, invading the privacy of our homes. Thanks to the constant pounding of the carpenter or the drilling of the welder in the houses under construction nearby, our house is never silent as the contract workers seem to work ceaselessly.
The cell phone should be given its due recognition. One gets to hear all sorts of ringtones all the time, ranging from unnerving music to a brash love song, and all sorts of video/audio forwards on WhatsApp which people play, unmindful of others nearby. The music or prayer that blares through microphones at celebrations surely spoils the transcendental joy of listening to music, and disturbs the very essence and raison d’etre of a prayer.
One should not forget the venerable elected representatives in this context. When one happens to watch parliament sessions, the hapless ‘speaker’ is seen muted, with tables and chairs doing the talking. The lawmakers need to be reminded of Mark Twain’s words, “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”
When we surround ourselves with noise, we never get to acknowledge the subtle refreshing sounds in life—the sound of the rain drops on the roof, the sweet chirping of the birds, the gentle rustle of leaves, the thrilling spluttering sound of a germinating seed. We need to relearn to switch off for our own good so our system gets to blank out and revitalise itself. Sleep is a biological need, but avoiding cacophony is a therapeutic need.
Silence seems bliss at such times, perfect for the much needed introspection, to emerge as a stronger and better human being. Silence is also one of the great arts of conversation, and it naturally happens between close friends who can sit or walk together in comfortable silence.
Sandhya Vasudev
Email: sandhya.vasudev@gmail.com