The War of Words
Recently I have spent a great deal of time grapplng with words, in fact my life has become a veritable War of Words.
As most people who know me realise I wear two hats, the first is that of a writer; the second of an artist. Over the years I have come to realise they are in many respects one and the sam
Wearing either hat I require two things when I am working . and they remain
almost the same whichever titfer I have on my head. Until recently I had thought what I needed
was simply Peace
and Quiet.
Until, that is, I read a book.
A pretty dangerous thing to do, I know, but as it turned out no harm befel me. The book only set me on a track of thinking about what I believed I had been craving for ever since I can remember.
Silence. Or is it as the book suggests Solitude? And if I achieve Solitude will this degenerate into – yes, another word – Loneliness. And might I try to alleviate this by counteracting Silence by replacing it with Noise?
I was tempted to look back at my younger days when I enjoyed solitude and never experienced loneliness. As a young girl I actively sought time spent alone.
I enjoyed walking home from school alone, choosing to take a route across an area of unkemp land called Storrs Hill. Here I sat amongst gorse bushes and enjoyed Solitude, looking out across the Calder Valley and listening. Certainly no Silence.
Gorse bushes alive with bees and other buzzing and humming insects. Overhead a skylark hovering, singing and fluttering as he climbed skywards. From the valley below the muted sound of a steam train chugging its way along the tracks and announcing its arrival at Horbury Bridge station with tinny hoots.
And again, as a early teenager, I had my own favourite place where I sought solitude. Stannard Well – which was not a well as such but a spring where clear water bubbled up through grains of sand to settle in a small pool bordered by an ancient wooden surround. Again no silence.
Because of the water there were birds aplenty. Blackbirds. thrushes, robins, wrens and all manner of birds, each with its own special song. Around me what we called trembling grass; fine stems topped by mauve seeds. Even this made a sound as it stirred and waved in the lightest breeze
Solitude v Loneliness. Silence v Noise.
Maybe .after all. there is actually no war of words.
Solitude is something we impose on ourselves; Loneliness is imposed. Total silence does not exist; but noise certainly does. At least, those are my opinions
Solitude renews us, loneliness diminishes. Silence does not exist except in our mind.
Hence we find it good to meditate and quieten even our thoughts.
And what of noise ?
Without a doubt it can kill … so next time you are out and about driving your car switch your radio to silent mode. And at home try an evening or two without TV. You’ll be surprised at what you hear.
Perhaps my next blog will examine Seeing!
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THE BOOK:
Listening Below The Noise: The Transformative Power of Silence by
Anne D Le Claire
Magnolia. Oil on board.
Mollie Kay Smith
Power. My Japanese style horse . Ink on paper Mollie Kay Smith
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I really would like to know what you think
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