Saturday, January 13, 2018

Too many words in the world?

I came to the blog this morning and realised that I had not been here since December 21st. Before that, while aspiring to blog everyday, I had managed to blog at least a couple of times a week for a while.

December-January are social months in Chennai so the words that are in the head get spent. Also, right after the 16 Days Campaign, one retires into a cave, trying to recover. The year began with resolutions relating to physical self-care and that puts other things on a back-burner--why is it an either/or though? Perhaps I just don't balance things well. And then grief. Grief, which directed all my words to phone calls and texts to other bereaved family members. All my reasons.

But as I look at Twitter and Facebook this smoggy morning, I also wonder: Is it that there are too many words in the world today? All of us write, even when we have nothing to say, and the words are littered everywhere, across every medium. What is left for me to say? So I am reading--a better use of my time, I suspect.

And in the meanwhile, I am also reflecting on the importance of some kinds of silence. A little more restraint in commentary. A little better resistance of the urge to opine. A little more reflective silence within oneself. A little more listening to those who rarely spill words. A little more learning. 

No comments: