Say anything, but say what you mean

I was going through an old binder last weekend that had some of my writings from last summer. I found this one and liked it. See what you think.

June 25, 2007

Sometimes the most annoying thing in the world is a sound.

It’s kind of funny that something as intangible as a sound can be so irritating. But when someone else’s alarm goes off and they’re out of town, or when steam sets off a fire alarm or a toilet won’t stop running, it’s enough to drive you crazy.

But sometimes, the nothings drive me crazier than the somethings.

Silences kill me sometimes. The phone doesn’t ring. There’s no knock at the door. Someone will mention the weekend but not ask if you want to be part of it. No compliments. No invitation. No letter of congratulations. The company you applied to work for doesn’t call back. Missionaries don’t write. The alarm clock didn’t go off. The radio doesn’t work. The air conditioning is out. No one’s home.

Those silences don’t go away. I think we all have one or two of those silences in our lives that we wish we could fill with something — anything.

But who says no news isn’t good news? Sometime I take it as a good sign if I don't hear from someone who's gone. If they were hurt, someone would have told me. If a guy doesn’t want to spend his time with me, he's probably not worth me spending mine. The phone's silence creates more time to think. And there’s nothing wrong with sleeping in once in a while.

Maybe silences are as essential as noises.