Silence

  

Zé Carioca no. 4, A Volta de Zé Carioca (1960). Edição Histórica, Ed. Abril by Rivane Neuenschwander

You know them, don’t you? Those awkward times when you don’t have anything to say to anyone. You're in a room full of people who expect you to lead the conversation.Always having something to talk about is not an easy task for most of us, especially for people who prefer to keep most things in their lives private. It's at times like these, during such awkward silences, that you are impressed with those who can speak impromptu! Silence is golden as the saying goes, but awkward too; perhaps its brilliance seems gaudy and too flamboyant in some lights. This can be especially uncomfortable when the other people speak a lot and choose for whatever reason to open up their heart to you… only to receive monosyllabic answers from you. It’s awkward.

But silence has its own charms. Imagine the silence of an early morning where you can hear the train pass by miles away from you, when you can hear a twig break under the tiny claws of a sparrow, hear the cat’s gentle meow. In the daily world of commotion, where the only way to overpower the noise outside is by plugging in your ipod—overriding commotion with commotion—a moment of silence can mean a lot. Silence gives the mind a chance to think undisturbed and the body to relax without expectation. A moment of silence can actually empower you to survive the rest of your day in all its utter commotion.