I have often wondered what it is like to hear real silence in the world of normal, healthy people who perceive all sounds. When I think about it, this world is incredibly noisy. And not only for me…
I can’t imagine how people you meet on the street perceive that silence when they hear something non-stop. Do they ever hear that sweet silence?
It must be terrible when a person is constantly annoyed and disturbed by some sounds. I mean in the sense that it gets on their nerves and doesn’t give them anything positive.
You may be wondering why I am writing this article. But there is one thing you don’t know about me. I can’t hear. Yes, it’s like that… life is cruel. I lost my hearing when I was three years old, when I was still a child. And then nothing awaited me, only a hard fight to cope with everything that happens in the normal, healthy world.
One day, 4 years ago, I got a new hearing aid. And for the first time in my life, I experienced what it was like to hear almost EVERYTHING. It almost defeated me and my head hurt terribly after half an hour. How do you do it? That you can ignore all the unimportant sounds… I don’t understand… and I probably never will. For me, it was something new, unknown… and it took a lot of energy from me. And it still takes… It’s hard for me to function constantly in your world, and yet I don’t want to give it up. I grew up in it, I found my place in it, even if it took some time. Personally, I can hear silence whenever I want. I just turn off that little hearing aid in my ears… and I hear that sweet melody of silence. I think that if I didn’t have that silence… that space for my own thoughts, my own feelings, emotions, tears or joy, I probably wouldn’t be able to handle it. In the world of ordinary people, it is incredibly exhausting for a person like me to function normally. And there are more of us…
In silence, one finds peace and harmony. Silence gives you space and time. In silence, one discovers one’s true self, finds a relationship with it. One discovers who one really is. One learns to listen to one’s heart and thus also the hearts of others, which need to be heard. Which unfortunately happens very little these days. It’s not so much that you hear…that you perceive sounds with your ears. I can practically no longer use my ears, but I have a heart and eyes with which I can listen to others.
There is a big difference between hearing and listening. We are here to listen. All those who hear…mostly don’t listen. I have often wondered why we listen to each other so little? I couldn’t find an answer anywhere and I hoped that time would solve it. A long time has passed and nothing has changed. People kept rushing home or to work…but they never stopped to listen. It didn’t matter what. Instead, they just kept talking…about themselves, they weren’t even interested in the others. And so on…For example, I like to “listen” to the raindrops falling from the sky when I hold an umbrella. I can’t hear them, but I can feel them. That’s my way of listening. I’ve always wanted to hear the sound of the trees when the wind blows, but it’s a very quiet sound, so I don’t have a chance. I can only imagine it.
It’s really different to perceive the world from my perspective. But I think that silence will show us the truth…and that’s why we’re not willing to look for it and we prefer to avoid it far and wide. Because we’re afraid of the truth, or we don’t want to hear it, see it…or even know it. It’s like we’re standing in front of a mirror and seeing ourselves in it. With everything that belongs to us. It will show us our true face. Our soul, our qualities, our character.
Nobody wants to think about themselves, what they are doing wrong. It is more difficult, they prefer to criticize others, which is much easier. And few people learn from the mistakes of others. Those who can do it have my admiration, because it is difficult. It is difficult to overcome yourself, your limits, your pride. Especially when you think you can’t go on anymore, you are surprised at how much more you can endure and endure. I have tried it. Many times it took me a lot of work to overcome my shadow. But it was always worth it, if only for the people I care about. Because silence always helps us work on ourselves, to overcome ourselves.
Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes, don’t be afraid to work on them and eliminate them, even if it is sometimes insurmountably difficult. Don’t be afraid to accept the truth. People will appreciate it, even if it takes a lot of time.
Learn to listen to yourself…your heartbeat, your stomach when it is empty, your headache, your joints cracking, or your emotions… Learn to listen to the sound of trees, the sound of water, the falling rain, the crunching of snow under your feet, in other words: learn to listen to nature… further, learn to listen to the words of your loved ones and perceive their gestures, even animals… a dog barking with joy when you return home… or the singing of birds trying to make your day better, or a cat purring to show you its satisfaction. Don’t ignore it, there is a sign everywhere, and most of the time it is a sign that someone loves you.
Try to find time for silence at least once a day and listen to it… and maybe in the end, you will be surprised at what you can hear through that silence if you really listen. 🙂 and in the end you may find that it has made your day much more beautiful. 🙂
The author is deaf. She graduated in Conservation and Use of the Region. Currently, she assists in the creation of planning for the protection of diversity in marginalized Roma communities.
Author: Mgr. Mária Dunková – Sečianska
