Noisy

This damn world is such a noisy place, isn’t it? I learned a new word today-cacophonous. With hand phones ringing, televisions and radio’s blaring, cars engines surging…incessant noise. Talking heads every which way we turn. It seems as if we’re afraid of quiet. It is as if we won’t be able to survive even a few moments in the good dentist’s waiting room without the latest episode of that stupid Indonesian soap at 2:30pm to keep us company. They showed that when I visited my dentist two days ago. Stupid shit.

And what about that riotous inner voices, the ones that rings in your head-the long to-do lists, the nagging worries about shit and all, concerns about money and health and the state of the fucking world or in this instance, the state of my fucking country. My anger at why I just can't stop this habit of lighting up - noisy reminders that life is so much less than we’d like it to be.

I just got back from the village a few days ago. My own village this time. It was good. It was quiet. It’s not likely that I’ll be attending a silent retreat anytime soon now, so I’m looking for other ways to gain some of the benefits of silence in my daily life. A sure antidote to that ever present voice in my head telling me what I should be doing, not to mention the noises imposed so rudely upon me by this so called fucking modern society.

Could it be as simple as sitting quietly with my coffee enjoying the rich aroma wafting over the rim? Lunching in silence, savoring each bite, noticing the tastes and textures that pass my lips. Drinking my big cats at Ruai...errrmm...don't think this one qualifies. Ruai just gets too noisy sometimes. Unplugging for a part of each day - switching off the phone and music and computer. And in time, I might consider expanding these episodes of quiet time into an entire morning, day, or even the weekend.

I think I might just give that a try.