Quiet

“Remember the quiet wonders. The world has more need of them than it has for warriors.” ~Charles de Lint

As a proudly self-proclaimed introvert, I can nearly track the progress of my life in quiet moments. Indeed, it is those very strong and silent memories that have most formed the woman I am today.

Sitting in a pine tree with a notebook balanced on my knee. Watching the stars while a cat twined ‘round my feet and a loyal dog panted in my ears. Holding steady hands to my swollen belly and listening to the subtle shifting of the life beneath them.

Yes, quiet is a good thing, a familiar thing. Really, it’s kind of my thing.

How many times in my life have I heard someone comment on my habitual silence? I don’t talk enough. I need to be more vocal. I’m too quiet. (There it is again, that word that has such a powerful place in my life.)

Yet I have never felt the need to apologize for being quiet. I have never allowed others—with their all-too-often negative connotation of that word—to sway my firm resolution in my own personality. Yes, I’ve always known I’m quiet; in fact, I ardently love that about myself!

Why does quiet have to be a bad thing? In this thought-provoking novel written by a fellow introvert, author Susan Cain asserts, “Many of the achievements that have propelled society, from the theory of evolution to the invention of the PC, from van Gogh’s sunflowers to The Cat in the Hat, came from people who were quiet, cerebral, and sensitive.” Clearly, reticence can create wonderful results, even in higher learning, and I cannot wait to read her thoughts on a life lived quietly.

For me, quiet simply provides a way to reconnect with myself, with that inner voice, even with the universe. I feel more connected with the world when I am silent. My spirit is undoubtedly a quiet one, and I often feel overwhelmed by the noises swirling around me. To recharge my batteries, so to speak, I draw energy not from Duracell’s but from these quiet moments.

Of course, much of my life is loud as well. I am a teacher, so obviously I’m surrounded by a cacophony of daily voices—and I noticeably spend many hours talking to them myself. In my life partner, I chose one of the most talkative people I’ve ever come across (but, I might add, one who also respects my frequent need for quiet in the home). Without a doubt, there are times when being verbal is necessary, beneficial, and unavoidable.

Nevertheless, I like the quiet. I live the quiet. And I applaud Susan Cain from the bottom of my introverted heart for writing a book that both defends and honors those of us who are proudly quiet in a world of loud. While I recognize that this is not the only way or even the best way to live, it is certainly a valuable way—and, for better or worse, it is my way.

“The good and the wise lead quiet lives.”
~Euripides