Day Two...

I have the Light Rail situation well in hand now. Whew! I am a person who can navigate, as long as I don't deviate from the norm, I'll be OK. I even managed to figure out the easy way to get home. Note to self...asking questions is not a sin.

Having figured the commute out, I was free to take note of my fellow passengers today. Why are we so afraid of silence? A large majority of the train passengers either are on their cell phones the entire ride, or are plugged into some kind of music device...mp3, iPod, even old school CD Walkman...I saw one kid yesterday who had some kind of large DVD looking player blaring the worst death/speed metal I have heard in ages...I almost asked who they were, I couldn't figure out why it was so bad...but I digress.

Silence. There is a lack of silence pervading our society today. Are the thoughts you think when you're alone rocking along with the morning commute or even walking across campus to your next class so frightful that they must be drowned out? Is there something wrong with simply enjoying the free flow of thought, or even of just listening to the sounds your feet make on the pavement? I do this all the time. Right now, I'm typing in silence, enjoying the click of the keyboard and capturing my thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I love music. There is a place for music and conversation. They both make life much more enjoyable. What troubles me is the dependence on outside sources to constantly fill our head spaces. In order to really enjoy a conversation or even really appreciate a piece of music, I think that every once in a while you have to live inside your own head. Get to know your own silence, embrace it.

Perhaps I'd feel different if I had an iPod. But for now, I will embrace my silent train ride and give my thoughts free reign for at least 15 minutes out of every day.

Back to the stacks of homework waiting for me. *sigh*