Silence is not necessarily golden

Here at home in the panhandle we have begun the annual snowfall season.

For as long as I can remember, for me, this is a majestically magical time of the year.  Partially because it’s still too early to hate the stuff and the combination of Christmas, yes I actually refer to it as the Christmas Season why so many of us are afraid to call it that anymore is way beyond my comprehension,  and the first snowfalls bring some extremely sentimental memories to me.  But I think what I remember most about these very first gifts of nature is the sound.

“Sound.  What sound”, you might ask.  “Snow doesn’t  make sound.  Wind, yes, crunching ice, you bet,  but snow?” 

Snow is almost an onomatopoetic word.  OK, go look it up, I’ll wait……………………

OK?  Go it?  Good, let’s proceed.  I got busted by some friends on my last presentation of verbosity for being just that.  Never mind look that one up later.  So I need to be less volumetric and more articulate this time.

I grew up on a farm in southern WV with my grandparents and the first snowfalls were something special indeed.  They were two of the most romantic people I ever knew, me excepted of course.  I had a great example.  Anyway on the eve of the first snowfall just after dusk they would always go for a walk.  Hand in hand, bundled up.  Just the two of them.  Even though I was quite young I knew it was something special.  When I got old enough to be allowed to go wandering off in the pine forest along the fire roads I found out why they enjoyed this event so very much.

There alone in the white cascade of flakes in those muted moments, standing quite still I could hear it.

A soft cushiony almost velvet-like sound……..silence.  Surrounding, enclosing, soft, almost palpable, silence.  You could hear it and you couldn’t both at the same time.  Not the suspense thriller movie silence you hear just before the giant monster slams his foot down on the poor unsuspecting earth guy.  That’s apprehensional silence and that’s freakin’ scary silence. If I’m getting’ too technical just skip down a few lines.  I mean the soothing, comforting, wrapped around you kind of sound that only a mother could give.  In this sense it’s Mother Nature and she’s giving you a wonderful gift.  A few very special moments where she wraps herself around you and says, “Isn’t this just wonderful and clean and nice”.

For me when I get the privelidge to be out there during that first snowfall it’s as if time stops for a few precious seconds and it’s just you and, if you’re lucky as I am, the one you love more than anything holding hands maybe even smooching a little and enjoying one of the season’s greatest gifts…..the sound of silence.

For those of us fortunate enough to live where this incredible phenomenon happens take a moment  this year and try it out.  Quit screaming at the dog to stop lickin’ itself, or to your kids to turn the freakin’ iPod down ‘cause even though they have it screwed into their ears an inch-and-a-half you can still hear it.  Take someone special, put on your collection of LL Bean outdoor garb and go out and experience this opportunity.  Within a few feet you’ll notice that you’re walking quietly as if you’re sneaking up on something.  You talk in hushed tones.  You may even realize you’re doing this because        it’s        so                 q  u  i  e  t.

You can do this by yourself even.  You won’t go blind or anything.  Really.  Seriously.

Now just stand there, still.  Listen.  Not just with your ears, but with your heart as well.

Hear it?  Feel it?  Makes ya kind of wonder why we have been so crappy to Mother Nature when she can give us such wonderful memories that can last a lifetime.

If you live in Del  Rio, TX or Key West make travel plans.  Just once in your life you need to experience the wonder of it.

As to the title of this missive,  “Silence is not necessarily golden”,  this time of year it’s white and not really silent but a beautiful silent whisper.

Y’all have a wonderful Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Ashura, Bodhi Day and whatever else it is you and yours refer to this calendric time of year.

RH