And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel
I love this song. I especially love the version by Disturbed. The build. The change from a soft, melodic voice to the heavy, ferocious growl of a true metal singer. I creates so much more emotion to this song. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening. I feel like this has become an epidemic.
I fall into this category too often. I hear the words. I respond to those words. Blank. You have to listen to have a conversation.
Listen – Give one’s attention to a sound
I always believed listening to be the act of hearing. But you must give your attention to it. Not just hear the noise. Hear all that the noise is telling you. Process the story within the sound. This includes conversation. When someone speaks words, they are often sharing a story. A story from their life. If you only hear the words, you will lose the meaning.
We all talk. We babble. But how much is real? Are we sharing a story? Speak truth. Speak your truth. Speak love. Your love of your story. Listen to the life in someone’s words. Embrace their truth. Their love.
Embrace the sound of silence.
The Therapy Sessions 