Listen. Silence.

the other night a friend started talking to me in a way that caught the attention of the room.  I replied with only body language and hand gestures. she and the others responded perfectly, it was hilarious. the conversation went on that way longer than you'd expect. made me smile afterwards and enjoy the idea of speaking without words. i sat with another friend i've known nearly my whole life and he knew exactly was i was thinking. i even described an old inside joke with gestures. on the way home i ran into another life long friend who understands me.
These encounters reminded me of conversing with a deaf friend of mine. how we could still hold up a conversation that was interesting and funny.


i was so intrigued by this idea i took a vow of silence. well, at least not say any words. laughter is always welcome.


the next morning.
My bro and i played charades.
i wrote to him "tell everyone that i say HI" when he left for Gimli.
i wrote down my order while at a bakery. turns out i knew the cashier.
i went to a friends house and spent the whole day around people.
i met several new people that i will hang out with again. when "saying" bye, they each said they hope to hear my voice someday.
one  person spent the whole day trying to trick me
the others made jokes that i enjoyed more than anyone.
i ordered ice-cream from the jingly bike man who spoke sign language.
i drove by a friend and just banged the side of the car but was unable to get his attention.
i saw someone almost break some glass before he did and was unable to warn him.
everyone continually guessed why i was silent. is it a jinx? is it lent? are you commemorating the blue jays win? is it for gay rights? you said something really stupid didn't you...

listen for your calling

It was so hard! my will power nearly broke so many times. i did accidently say whoa. but i don't count it.   playing music became that much more appreciated. the ability to make sound. i've never whistled so much. blowing into a beer bottle. playing blades of grass between my thumbs. i noticed things more. little things. i took photos. i attentively listened to every conversation. i took time to remember names. the appreciation for words and the desire to use them beautifully was inspiring. as for my calling, still silent. but that's ok with me.

i woke up this morning and immediately broke the vow.

"another beautiful day."