I know, half of you are probably falling out of your chairs thinking that I, an extreme extrovert, could spend 4 hours without talking, texting, listening to music, using any form of electronics or communication devices, reading or writing *gasp!* This is too much... :)
Believe me, it wasn't necessarily because I wanted to. In my psychology class, we were assigned to pick a task and test it out on our well-being. So of course, I picked the hardest one-- the one I knew I needed the most. Which was half a day of silence. Oh dear.
I started the silence experiment at 1:00 in the afternoon. I bundled up nice and warm, fixed myself some French Vanilla hot chocolate (which was delicious, by the way), and set out to hike Badger. It was a great and relaxing way to get some exercise, and the scenery was beautiful! However, my hike didn't go exactly according to plan...
I got lost. Somewhere along the way, I ended up on the other side of the mountain. Whoops.
I didn’t know where I was going and ended up somehow hiking three different trails. I went all the way around the mountain, then to the top, then back down. I was only planning on a short hike, but I ended up being there for about an hour and a half (I walked over 3 miles trying to find my way).
I was nervous that it would get dark, and since I had no concept of time, I didn’t know when the sun would set (I’d been walking for a while). And of course, I didn’t think to ask any of the few other hikers because I wasn’t supposed to be talking! Ah well, I made it down eventually, although I was very happy to finally be on flat ground!
Another problem I ran into: I couldn't exactly keep entirely silent on Badger. The others hikers on the trail were very friendly, and almost every single one of the said “Hello” or “Hi” to me as we passed. I did break the silence a little bit, BUT it was only because I couldn’t be the jerk who just walks past everyone else and their dog (literally) without making eye contact. So I usually just smiled and made a sharp exhaling noise that sounded like “Hi,” so I could get away with it.
Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, it was exactly what I needed. It was still very enjoyable, and the beauty took my breath away.
Once the hike was over, I drove down to the river. I mostly just sat and examined the scene around me, although I did walk around a bit for a different views. It was very relaxing just to soak in the serenity around me. After that, I drove to a place where I could best see the clouds of the sunset. I pretty much just took in all the sights around me. After that, I went to Adoration and just sat silently for a long time. I finished up my day with a relaxing bath at home (although the silence part didn’t go so well with other people talking in my house :)
Contrary to what you might think (me being an "extrovert" and all), this experiment was actually very beneficial for me. I hardly am ever silent, and even when I think I’m being silent, it’s usually because I’m on some form of electronic. The silence made me so much more aware of my surroundings. I could actually appreciate the nature around me. One thing that I found out about myself is that I often try to fill the silence.
For example, driving in the car. When driving during the experiment, I actually had time to think instead of just mindlessly jamming to my music in the car. I did notice that sometimes I started randomly singing before I caught myself- I wasn’t used to it being so quiet in my car!
I definitely think the silence affected me very positively because as an extrovert, I rarely have time to just be quiet and think about… well, nothing! I thought that during this experiment that I would get bored, or even worse, start thinking about homework and all the stuff I needed to get down. However, being quiet was easier than I thought.
This experiment basically felt like a stress detox- I wasn’t hiking to lose weight, I was doing it for enjoyment. I didn’t sit quietly to try to brainstorm for my research essay, I sat and absorbed and felt. All the things I never noticed before became more special than ever.
Overall, silence has helped me appreciate the small things I usually take for granted. So this Thanksgiving, eat a little turkey and pumpkin pie, but more importantly, don't forget to quiet your heart and really pay attention to the little things you are grateful for.
"To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything." Thomas Merton
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