Silence, the blessed sound of nothing.

I suppose silence isn't so much nothing, but the absence of the yammering of unwanted mouths, the endless pings and rings of cell phones, the music people share (that no one else wants to hear).  Silence, my dear friends, is the endangered species of the digital age.

Case in point: my commute in this morning.

I first take my car to the train station, approximately 2 miles from the house.  I then climb aboard the South Shore Railroad for my trip into Chicago (approx 2 hours), then walk from Millennium Station to the Washington Street stop for the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line.  I then take the Blue line to the University of Illinois at Chicago.  All told, my commute is approx 2.5 hours, one-way.

At only one time during this 2.5 hour journey, am I alone.  That lowly 2 mile commute to the train station from my house is the one time I spend truly alone, just me, my car and likely NPR.  If I am lucky, I will catch a good story, if I am not, I change to music.  Let's call this part of my trip 10 minutes, just for grins.

I now have 2 hours, 40 minutes left.  During this entire 2 hours, 40 minutes, I am surrounded by people.  Sometimes people I know, but more often than not, total strangers.  We share close quarters, indoor space, punctuated by the comings and goings of fellow passengers.  It isn't wholly unpleasant, but it is not the private, confined space of your own personal automobile.

This morning I had to endure the following:

1. A woman (on the South Shore) and a man (in the Washington CTA station) who insisted on sharing their choice of music with all.  
2. A group of college-age people who shared videos on their phones with one another, at full blast.
3. A man who insisted on sharing his opinions on everything (although NO ONE asked him to).
4. Several cell phones, ringing endlessly without being picked up.  I do not know the reasons why, but I assume it has to do with the flagrant ineptness of said cell phones' owners and their ignorance of the vibrate/silent feature.  

It is days like today that I feel the age of civilization is as close to an end as it ever has been.  The "civil" part of civilization has been wrenched from its moorings, tossed asunder by the relentless onslaught of selfish bastards thinking only of themselves.  

As much as I love my commute (and I do) and I love taking public transit (I do), there are days I understand why people would much rather just get in their own car, in their own personal realm of joy & peace, than ever make contact with another human between home and work.  It is days like today that I arrive to my destination with a belly full of bile and an urge to spew it.  

Lucky you, dear readers, you get to hear all about it. 

The peaceful silence of no cell phone

I remember the days of not being tethered to an electronic leash. Those glorious days of not having a pager (ha! that seems like 1000 years ago), a cell phone or some other such device tracking one's every move. It has been years since I was out of touch with either work or home for more than a moment.

Yesterday was a day of no cell phone for me. I had left it (inadvertently) on the kitchen counter in the morning. At about 82nd St. on I-69, I realized it was not with me. First, panic. Then acceptance, then finally .... peace. Yes, glorious peace.

It is not that I am unreachable without a cell phone, quite the opposite. When I am at work, I have, at minimum, my desk phone and email to reach me. At home, my home phone and email. In the car, yes, the only way to reach me is by cell phone.

As I settled into my day, I realized just how much this electronic tether binds me to tasks. I feel the need to answer it when it rings. To respond to texts when I receive them. To pay close attention to make sure I have not missed a call.

Without it, I am free.

When I returned home last night after work, I got dressed for the gym and headed out. Before I headed out, I reached out for my phone and nearly put it in my purse. Then I thought, wait ... enjoy your time ... be without it. So I did. I went to the gym, sweated my ass off and enjoyed my iPod. When I came home, I noticed I had a couple of voicemails. I listened to them as I ate my supper and determined neither call needed returned at that time. I read my book, watched a show and called it a night. It was glorious.

... and today I left it at home again. I can't decide whether I did it on purpose or not, but all the same, I will enjoy another day of glorious silence.

ommmmm.

Blessed Silence

I forgot my cell phone at home today ... was trying to get out the door, focused on getting breakfast made, trash taken out and kitty food refilled and left it on the counter.

I think I will enjoy the silence today.

Blessed, beautiful, gorgeous silence.