The Sounds of Silence

So here in Siberia a funny thing happened when all
systems shut down: it was quiet. No buzz from routers or
rings from telephones or background noise from TVs. Dare
I say it was pure bliss?

Maybe because the technology blackout coincided with the
departure of some adult children who came home to roost for
a while, but the sounds of an empty house were music to my ears.

I got lots of real work done without the temptation to respond to every
email. I finished reading two newspapers. And I actually could hear
myself think.

Not that I relish typing this blog on my iPhone--my daughter had absconded
with my ipad to a conference in Boston--but I did savor true quiet.

Try it sometime. Declare a personal blackout and see if you remember what
silence sounds like.