By Klaus Döring
From time to time, I love silence. I love quietness. Do you observe that we live in a really frightening, loud world? At every corner of our daily life, there are innumerable chances of being covered up with sometimes unbearable din and noise. The loud outcry gets on my nerves. We don’t have nerves of steel forever.
I am not really a fan of going out at night. If you ask me how to spend a lovely evening after a hectic, stressful, and especially noisy day—plain and simple.
The nicest occurrence is the silence, the intimate taciturnity, which can even “weld” people or partners together. It might sound like an idiomatic expression, but believe me: not being forced to talk is great! No, I don’t mean that we have nothing to say to each other anymore—or that he or she won’t listen for a special reason. I am talking about a deep understanding between people who are together and are able to share time in quiet and silent happiness.
After a long and strenuous day, it is a really big comfort to sit back, read all the (old!) newspapers and magazines from the last days and weeks while enjoying a glass of wine and a handful of peanuts. A crossword puzzle is easier to solve while having a “silent” radio program in the background instead of a “roars-to-hell” television show.
Try it. It is indeed relaxing after traffic woes, the heat and dust of the day, telephones ringing, machines rattling, meetings, and never-ending discussions. Why should we talk right now?
Feeling safe and secure, inseparable, indestructible, with peace in our minds and our surroundings—this is what we really mean to each other, understanding without words. At home, somewhere in the garden, at a beach—there are many wonderful places. And suddenly, out of the blue, from the bottom of our hearts and from the depth of comfort and ease, we might be able to speak about things that couldn’t be discussed earlier. A good talk grows—but without compulsion, constraint, obligation, desperation, or being forced.
Try it, and it might feel like walking hand in hand on a lonely sandy beach, such as “once upon a time” with our first partner. And, unexpectedly, we become silent again and thankful for it.
We really seldom take a break. We spend too much time in this terrible and frightful loud world.
Happiness is always a byproduct. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know, it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy, you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness, as already said by William Robertson Davies (Aug. 28, 1913–Dec. 2, 1995), who was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor.
Never forget: A smile never goes out of style. All it takes for anyone to live a happier life is to live it one smile at a time. Be your own reason for your happiness. Believe you can, and you’re halfway there. Bringing the sun wherever I go. Chin up, buttercup!
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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com, or follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn, or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.
