Everybody's Talking

When I was still a single girl, the Wyman family at my church invited me for dinner. And I was delighted to accept. These people were just my type — creative and crazy. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Wyman (the parents), and their three grown children — all living at home — along with the daughter's two school-aged children. 

Fabulous people. One Wyman son was an artist and the other was a scientist. The daughter was an accomplished pianist. Mrs. Wyman was a poet. 

Dinner was delicious — Mrs. Wyman's famous homemade spaghetti. The conversation at the table was lively and interesting — art, music, science — all topics that interest me. 

There was just one problem. Everyone was talking to me. Everyone. All at once. I looked from one face to the other to the next, not wanting to be rude to any of them. But it was impossible to follow any single thread of conversation. All the threads were as tangled as the pasta on my plate. I couldn't reply to anybody because I couldn't keep it all straight. 

I had fun that night anyway, because I always enjoyed their company. But I knew I couldn't do that every night. My puny brain would explode from all those dangling threads of conversation.

And now, sometimes when I'm on social media, I get the swirly-headed feeling I'm back at that dinner party with the Wymans. Doesn't it sometimes feel like everybody's talking and nobody's listening?  

Some people on Facebook (not you, Dear Reader, just some people) seem to post all the live-long day: "Here's what I had for breakfast / Here's my new puppy / Survey: how many of you like the color green? / Here are 57 random pix of my boyfriend / Need a new therapist -- recommendations? / So, radishes. . .yes or no? / Selling my Honda Civic -- any takers? / Walked 6017 steps on Fitbit today / Plz pray for my sick goldfish, Rudolpho /..../ What? bedtime already? Nitie-nite, Facebook."

And blogs? I'm pretty sure there are about twice as many people writing blogs as there are people reading them. And that's a conservative estimate.

I check my Twitter messages about once a decade, but there must be people tweeting like canaries around the clock as well.

It’s tempting to say that maybe we should all talk a little less and listen more. But I don't think that's gonna cut it. Instead, maybe we need to quit talking AND listening. 

I think the word for that is silence. 

We need a time DAILY when we are unplugged from all the beep-beep-beep, jabber-jabber-jabber. And now and then, a longer vacation from tv, internet, smart phones, email, Pandora, Siri, and Alexa. At least a day. Maybe two. And what restoration and renewal might happen in our minds and spirits in a whole week? 

I think the word for that is peace.

Ahhhhh. Lying down in green pastures. 

Resting beside still waters. 

Soul restored.

And who knows? After a season of silence and peace, we might actually have something to talk about.

Image Credits:
    Spaghetti - Author: Benreis
    Eating spaghetti - © Can Stock Photo / logan5
    Children talking - © Can Stock Photo / lenm
    Woman at computer - © Can Stock Photo / endotune
    Sheep in pasture - Attribution: Chris Upson / Sheep Grazing / CC BY-SA 2.0
    One sheep - Author: Jackhynes, Public Domain;
    Sunset - Author: fir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.au