Silence.

Silence.

I never did understand the concept of silence, to me silence was something said by adults who wanted us to be quiet in order to gives us instructions. It never occurred to me that silence was actually essential, it never occurred to me that it's actually a skill that can be honed. The first time I ever encounter true silence was when I went fishing with my father on a misty February morning. The fog was so thick I could hardly see my own two hands let alone the cliff we were about to descend in order to fish. My father took me up onto his shoulders and carefully and skillfully he climbed down the cliff. Down a rocky ridge and onto the rocky shores that were completely isolated minus the occasional critter skimming about. We walk a bit further till we were standing on a boulder, by the time my father had set up the fishing lines and had his bait on the hook. The tide had come in and we were on our own little island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. At first I was frighten but it was there that silence first made a true impression. All I could hear was the whistling of the wind and the waves crashing against the boulder that supported my father and I.  Finally the silence broke when my father called out to hand him his fishing knife.

The reason why I'm talking about silence is because it has come to my attention that the world has become far too noisy. Everyday, news come flooding into our ears informing us about the good, the bad, the ugly, the horrible you get the picture. There is not a single second anyone's lives are truly silent now. Silence was used as a tool in my early life, granted I'm still relatively young but in about a month or so I'll be adding one more year to my life and in doing so I no longer would like to consider silence as a tool...let me explain.

You see like most people I'm accustomed to interact with other individuals. Though, sometimes when you meet someone new there comes a time in the conversation when there is a moment of silence (not like in funerals) some people automatically try to fill it or use it to end that conversation to start a new one hence silence is used as a tool. Occasionally the silence helps to refresh the communication but however you see it's still used as a tool. Now I don't want to sound repetitive (too late) but there is a point I promise you.

When I started this blog, I was tired of having my thoughts all jammed in my mind I didn't want to live in silence when all these topics were floating around with no place to go. Hence me starting this little piece, now how does this truly tied down to the topic at hand. Well, as I sit in my school's library I'm observing how most of my peers are gearing up for their finals like all good students should. Meanwhile the big bad/good world is stirring about, the leaders of now are doing their "best" to keep the order. Now I know this is all sounding like noise but the more I ponder on the subject of silence the more I think about the many stories, people, societies, countries etc.. who live under the limelight. I'm fortunate to have a outlet such as this blog to voice out my opinion, my peers are lucky to have a place such as this library to come and find silence to concentrate on their education. In a way we are all lucky using silence as a tool. Although somewhere out there silence is being used for the wrong purposes. 

Sitting here in front of this screen I want to confess something I have only said to a few people in my life. I'm fortunate for my education, I love learning new topics, I love having knowledge in my brain. When I was in academic decathlon we got a speech question that went along the lines of " Knowledge tool or weapon?' This question has stuck with me ever since and I have been adding to it since I first heard it. Now I won't comment my answer but I find that this question also implies to silence. I have voice, and for as long as I learned this I want to share something. I don't care about the career I will have, the money I make, or where I live; what I want to do with my life is to help and inspire people. To share my blessings with others, and the only reward I seek is to know that I have made some sort of contribution in someone's life. Now coming back to the whole silence part, I have kept this aspiration in silence because I know the reactions it would stir. Yet, I made a promise to myself that I would not silence any thoughts that come floating in this mad mind of mine. Here is a question I know pose on you fine readers.. Silence tool or weapon?