December 29, 2024

By Arthur H. Gunther III

thecolumnrule.com

It has been noted: Some are fluent in silence. So much can be said in the quiet, whether it is two people together or one apart from the other, sitting in a corner reading. Or staring at a wall.

There is trust in that silence, as if the motor is idling and will be ready on call – for either person. Or both.

But for now, no movement, no gear changing.

Magic? No, because that definition is to influence the course of events. No alchemy is needed in stability. Yet silence is “magical” since it is expressed in a beautiful, delightful way – just by being. No explanation.

Yes, silence can mean withheld anger, disappointment, leaving without a scene. But there the motor is not idling; one or the other will throw it into gear, and silence will become a closed door. It is uncomfortable silence.

Silence that is the quiet is one saying to the other that we do not need to cling so as not to tempt separation. The absence of talk includes the trust that it will resume.

Those in silence give each other a great gift – to be there in their space.

The writer is a retired newspaperman.

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