Member-only story
A Time Before Sound
On silence, spirit, and the unseen forces that shape our inner and outer worlds
The world has always been noisy. As a child, I felt a relentless urge to retreat into the silent quarters within.
But as I age, the pursuit of quiet becomes more than a desire. It becomes the only way I know how to be the child we often forget. It’s the only way I know how to keep noise from distorting the sacred things I carry inside. It’s the only thing I know that brings my words to life.
I’ve traveled far and often. I have had the unexpected gift of seeing beauty in corners of the country I may never have otherwise witnessed. The circumstances are unsavory. Nonetheless, I have seen places that nourish the forgotten parts of us. They can be found everywhere.
However, the noise is also the same everywhere.
Sirens scream through cities and echo through small towns alike, a violent serenade that seems to embody the essence of the human condition. Injury, hardship, and death.
Suffering is inevitable.
I offer a silent prayer each time the sirens pass, even though my belief in the supernatural remains at odds. Something deeper in me, beyond what’s rational and logical, finds comfort in the ancient knowing.
