17 Silence



Silence

I was out walking at the same time as three groups of girls doing their bronze outdoor hiking experience. How good it was to see so many trying to learn new skills. There were two groups to my rear and one up ahead. I knew this not because I could see them all, but I certainly could hear them.  The sounds around were being drowned out by the noise they were making, talking and screaming among themselves. As I passed, I asked them what the bronze award was all about, I still do not know because they all answered at the same time. I suggested that part of it might be listening to the sound of nature.

Once on a railway journey, my father unintentionally perpetrated some slight infraction and was unmercifully bawled out by a minor train employee. I was young then and hotly told my father afterwards that he should have given the man a piece of his mind.  My father smiled, "Oh," he said, "if a man like that can stand himself all his life, surely I can stand him for five minutes."

I learned that silence often said more than words. This was emphasised later at a church meeting. It had been a rather stormy meeting and some very harsh words had been spoken.  Attending the meeting was an old elder, always highly respected and unusually wise in his judgments, he had said nothing throughout the proceedings. 

As I left the meeting I said to him,  “You said not a word. I am sure I would have liked to hear your opinion about this matter." Ralph, he said, "I have discovered, that there are many times when silence is an opinion."

Sometimes the greatest lessons are told by saying not a word. 





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