A couple of weekends ago we tried an experiment and it was definitely interesting. While the world went about it’s life, Matt and I disconnected from the internet, cell phones and electricity in general for a couple days. I have never had a more liberating experience. The first day was difficult. My mind just freaked out and wouldn’t function. I sat down and tried to clean, or get things done but the silence was overwhelming. I needed noise, something to keep my mind off the cleaning I was supposed to be doing. My mind dismissed the birds, the water fountain outside, and immediately broke down from lack of artificial sound. It took me, I kid you not, 45 minutes just to get out of bed and feed myself. It was driving me crazy. My thought always was I’m bored, what could I be doing online? Whining ensued from my side of the room… “I’m bored…there’s nothing to do….I hate the quiet…this sucks!!!”

Now the reason many people I know have laughed at this is because I’m a Buddhist. I pride myself on remaining calm in a lot of situations people wouldn’t. I was so relaxed before my wedding everyone thought I was on tranquilizers. Turns out I was just sure it would all work out in the end. I love meditating as well, but when it’s all go I have a TON of noise, from 8am until I go to sleep it’s music, random TV episodes from online, and movies. So when we went silent it was like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. I couldn’t function. An hour passed, then two, suddenly I was in the groove. Enjoying quiet and really talking to my sister about the differences between a recent book made into movie. My brain felt alive and I was thinking. I was intrigued by the possibilities of everything!

I like to think I’m intelligent and can discuss the affects of education and literature on the young mind, or how personifying death in literature has developed a subculture of thought on the subject of death in general. So when I found myself really thinking about art, and books, and how I would love to get outside and weed, I realized I was free. Amazingly, wonderfully FREE!

We ate with the sun, since we were not using the lights, and it was all vegan and mostly raw. I suddenly wanted it to never end. It was nice to have the quiet, nice to be alone with my thoughts, a nice to read a book. And just when my body was getting used to the relaxation, the quiet and the happiness I felt….BAM! It was Tuesday. I had an 8 page paper I hadn’t started that was due wednesday andwork was coming where I’m online 8 hours a day. I want so much to go back to it…continue what we started.I’m looking forward to remembering what silence is like…