Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Quiet. Your best friend, your worst enemy

I am a pro chatter box. I can go on and on endlessly and still feel like I could talk some more. But when you're thousand miles away, it is difficult to find company. When the husband would go to work, I would sit and wonder what could I do to pass the next 6 hours that would make my day feel productive? Slowly, I figured it out. Coming from India meant that I had family and friends who I could constantly reach out to, but here I had to come up with innovative ways to keep myself occupied.

If there is one thing that I've learnt as an only child, it is to improvise. I don't remember having an imaginary friend, I was always comfortable playing by myself and that skill helped me immensely. During my growing up years, my parents kept telling me that no matter what, one should never be bored one's own company. And how true. Because how does one rescue you from yourself? I've mentioned it in one of my earlier posts, I decided to learn new things. Cooking, art, craft, yoga, sleeping well, watching TV, basically everything I do on vacation.

But there is a difference in silence your crave for and silence that is imposed upon you. The latter can do weird things to you. As much as I enjoyed the large forest, I was also on the lookout for some human interaction. I would be excited when a neighbor drove past, I would see habitation and take heart in the fact that there were still people around me. When I would crave to talk to people, I would simply switch on Netflix and keep watching, endlessly. Sometimes, just for the noise. I felt like one of those comedic actors from scenes where they use recording of a noisy street or the railway station just so they can sleep. But these brief moments of quiet taught me the importance of the people I have in in life. From time to time, I have been known to shut off from all kinds communication like on the blog, on social media and the likes that I kinda now regret.

Silence teaches you so many things, for me it was learning to be at peace with myself. Confronting every single one of my thoughts. It is to enjoy my own company. To entertain myself. To sleep well. To dance like no is watching because no one is watching. I did my yoga and sang my songs and I felt extremely satisfied.  Even now on the one off days where I get the house to myself, I put on some music, plop in the bed with a book or simply turn on Youtube and watch random cat videos. I've learned to keep myself company in the best way possible.


12 comments:

  1. The pleasures of solitude are multitude. I am a person who loves it. In fact I feel pretty lost in crowds. One does get to do all kinds of things when alone that are helpful in rounding up and improving one's knowledge.
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

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  2. Learning to love your company is indeed very important. I have learnt that but need some silence and me time for now.
    Brilliantly written.
    Ramya from Words & Me

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  3. Years ago when I moved out of the suburbs to a more agricultural setting, the quiet crept up on me. These days when going shopping, the noise gets to me :-) I love the silence. Usually all I can hear are the keys I'm typing on the keyboard while writing - faster as the scene gets more intense or slower as I set the scene. Though, if I listen I can hear birds chirping and horses neighing. It's a peaceful and productive life :-) Good luck with the rest of the AtoZchallenge.

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  4. This is indeed a straight from the heart post dear...I am extrovert too and have been on projects to European countries..thus relate to your spell..glad you ofund a solution :)

    www.trulyyoursroma.blogspot.in

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  5. I agree with you. Silence that is imposed on you does really weird things!
    A book is my only companion on those days when I wish to be alone and sit quietly. Or maybe some Superwoman videos. Even music helps sometimes. But not that railway noise and all. :D

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  6. Wow! my post on 'Q' is also titled Quiet. Same pinch.
    I have been in your shoes a few years back and I could completely agree with all your points. I agree, we do need the quiet in our lives to grow but definitely not the imposed one.

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  7. One must never get bored of one's own company. So rightly said. Silence is what we crave for. Learning to spend one's time without getting bored is a skill all of us need to pick up.

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  8. Love this post--really sums up the quiet life required for creative work. Happy A-Z-ing!

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  9. Loved this one .

    I have stayed Aline many times for many months .
    Once in hostel for 6 months when my floor I was all along till 8p.m
    And many times at homes when mom dad went to Assam.

    So can relste with this loneliness,
    And I used to sit in my garden talk with plants and sparrows 😝😝
    And the way you said
    Watch 'people'.
    Watching them around felt lovely.


    @dixita011 from
    Cafenined words

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  10. That's a really evolved way of looking at things Maggie. People who enjoy their own company are the one's who make the best companions..
    I could see the transition within this post for you .. from talking about imposed silence to talking about desperate attempts to fill up your loneliness.. you finally did conclude [ accept gracefully perhaps] that there's no better company that yourself.
    People take years to realize this.. and most of them never do..
    Your trip was quite something and you taking away such important life lessons makes you richer..

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  11. Keeping quiet can be therapeutic at times. Great post!

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  12. Well, I'm an introvert. Talking and listening to people talk exhausts me...but I guess I'd go crazy if I had to spend a lot of time in solitude.

    All the best for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.

    Do drop by mine. I blog at:-

    CRD - SCRIPTED IN SANITY

    Cheers,
    CRD

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