Thursday, January 20, 2011

Fear of Silence

I talk, a lot. Now, I know you're thinking "oh, everyone thinks they talk a lot," but let me tell you now, they are wrong. The story in my family goes that I didn't start talking until I was almost three, and I haven't stopped since. I can't help myself. I really love to talk. When I am not talking to someone, or something, I am talking to myself. When I am not talking to myself I am talking to imaginary people, having conversations I think we would have, if we ever met. I talk in the shower. I talk back to the TV and the radio and the computer. I talk in my sleep. I talk, a lot.

I am not just telling you I talk a lot to have something to talk about. I mean, that sounds like something I would do (and in another time and place I probably will), but today I actually have a point. You see, one of my Internet friends, Jennifer, is suffering my greatest nightmare: she is being forced to be silent. She has been doing this for 15 days, and is supposed to be doing this for 15 more. I can only imagine the horror.

Seriously, since I started following her odyssey into silence I think about it constantly. My recurring nightmares of not being able to talk (see, I wasn't just being hyperbolic) have been happening more frequently. I monitor how long it has been since I have said a word, and wonder if I could double, or triple that time. The obvious answer is, no, I can not; and each time I start talking again I breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Thank goodness Jennifer has an awesome blog where she can vent. I just hope that, unlike me, she doesn't have to read her posts aloud and discuss them with the air as she writes. Or, if she does, that the air reads lips.

God speed, Jennifer. I would love to promise you I will keep silent out of solidarity, but I think we all know that would just be talk...

14 comments:

Riot Kitty said...

This is why I could never be a Buddhist monk. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut!

Jen said...

I love quiet around me, but I don't think I could not talk for very long, certainly not 15 days. P often tells me, "take a breath" when I'm telling him about my day. That or, "I don't need to know what s/he wore." Rock on Jennifer!

BugginWord said...

Fortunately, I have a vast knowledge of obscene gestures that would fully communicate almost every thought I have.

VEG said...

See you and me should go to dinner together because I do NOT talk a lot. I can talk a lot if I have to. I just generally do not. I am happy to be silent and listen and store up information to use against you later. I'd let you talk. I'd drink. Then I'd butt in with the occasional acidic one liner and you could glare at me. :)

Anonymous said...

I like silence but not being able to talk AT ALL? Nope. Couldn't do it.

Granny Annie said...

I saw a cartoon this week where two cavemen are talking in front of a cavewoman and one man is saying to the other, "I'm thinking about teaching her to talk. What harm could it do?"

Amanda said...

Do you know how hard it is to make a snarky comment about your loquaciousness when you are being kind to someone?

Kelly said...

I just don't think I could do it. I am a talker as well. My husband always says the only time I'm quiet is when I'm reading. Good thing I finally learned to read in my head.

Unknown said...

That would suck. I can't even stop cursing for 2 hours, much less not speak for 30 days. Good lord. When I'm sick with anything that limits my speech, I go bananas. Oh, and I gesticulate wildly.

LL Cool Joe said...

As I've grown older I've become less chatty. I can talk non stop when I need to, but now I'm happy to say less. Not sure why!

Patty Punker said...

i'm with vegetable assassin. i don't like talking. i'd rather listen all the time. i wish people didn't expect others to talk. in fact, i'm a master at asking questions and turning the table so that others do all the talking. it would be punishment for me to be forced to talk.

Daniel said...

Hmm... I just went and read the entry of hers you linked me to. I need to go back and read the story behind why exactly she's going through this. It seems like it'd be a very difficult thing to do, although I'm intrigued to see if I'd be able to pull it off for the sake of a challenge. I'm not big on talking (although, I do like to tell stories, even though they are boring as all hell at times), but silence would be almost unbearable. I'd rather be mute than deaf, though. ::nods:: Just a thought.

Wanna Bee said...

sometimes I think I am talking, but then I realize its just a conversation in my head. Moving my mouth is too much effort sometimes.

Jen Has A Pen said...

I don't know why it's taken me so long to comment on this. I thought I did, but then remembered I didn't. :-)

Anyway, thank you so much for writing this. It truly means a ton to me. I have been so terribly frustrated and the outlet of my blog has been my saving grace. This has made things even better.

I truly love you blog, love Meg, love your sense of humor... so I am totally honored to have been mentioned. :-)