Whisht!
The sound of sensational silence.
I think everyone should just shut up this year. Yes - 2025, beginning right now, full stop - talking. Mouth closed. Zip the lip. Hit the mute button. Silencio. Silenzio. Stille. Tais. Chinmoku. Wheesht! Learn sign language. Communicate your feelings over email. Let the little things and the big things go. You know the final scene in Forest Gump where he just put his kid on the school bus after telling him “I love you Forest,” and is now sitting on a tree stump while the feather floats in the air and he is not talking but instead staring out into space? YES - just like that. Shut up.
I learned a new Scottish word last week - whisht - pronounced, “weesht.” It is a glorious singular word-alternative to the two-word shut up sentiment. It is a polite way to shush someone. Take it as my belated Christmas and Hannukah gift to you and run with it.
Yes, communication is important and yes, I’m being a bit sardonic with the “shut up” sentiment, but I am sincere in this idea of us all striving to live a quieter and less chit-chatty life. A few weeks ago, I wrote about using your words. Not about using more of them but to strive for a more focused and meaningful use of them. Distill it down; sum it up.
It is common at both Buddhist monasteries and Yogic ashrams to hold week-long silent retreats. It is also common for people to become so overwhelmed with all the silence that they put pen to paper and begin to fervently write notes to each other. Maybe a week is too long. How about an afternoon?
In Japan, silence is valued over words. Yes…let’s do more of that.
In the famous book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy says to Elizabeth Bennett, “One word from you will silence me forever.” Yes - let’s do more of that.
We need more eye contact, more hugging, more quality words, and less quantity of them. We need to follow the examples of wise children contemplating nature in silence.
While we are all newly busy taking down the Christmas tree while shutting up, (BTW, I am thinking of all sorts of gadgets that could help facilitate this. Entrepreneurs - contact me) let’s take up a new hobby-skill called listening. If you cannot bear to listen to the person across from you at the dinner table or on the bus, listen to the glorious sounds of nature.
Yesterday, I learned another Scottish word - numpty (pronounced as it sounds), meaning “silly person.” What a lovely and meaningful three-word sentence… “Hey, numpty - whisht.” Take it and run with it. Happy New Year!
Music to shut up by: Planet 898
Love & Whisht,
Photo Credits: top and second from bottom - Amy Pacifera | center - Ame Waterino | bottom - Melanie McLeod
Ogden Nash:
"Celery"
Celery, raw
Develops the jaw,
But celery, stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.