Maybe we have become deafened by the sounds in our heads, the constant influx of information, or maybe it’s the amount of sound, so much sound that our bodies have become numb and decided that we must drown ourselves in more sound in order to maintain our focus. We put on layers on layers of sound, internally and externally, volume up all the way, so high that we have to shout over it to be heard. We turn everything on. We play and replay our sounds, our thoughts, we continuously seek more and more information. We put sound directly into our ears, guiding it direct to our bloodstream, filling us up with noise noise noise, every hour of every day. We ingest so much noise that we literally play white noise as an attempt to unhear it.

Until, at once, it stops.

And then you get a taste for quiet. And after you do, it’s hard to let it go. You turn the noise off, all the way off, and allow your ears to open up to the organic sounds around you. You can now feel the minuscule vibrations of the world. The clink of a ceramic mug against the tile countertop. The clicking coffee pot as it continues to warm. The chirping of the birds outside your window. Your own movements: the shuffling and ruffling of your clothing as you walk. The scratching of your forehead. The tapping of your fingertips against the table.

Each sound so small, yet so significant. We can reach this calm and serene feeling again. We can remember what it feels like to be part of a peaceful world. We can feel our organic and natural human selves, understanding and giving back to our environments. The quiet is still there, all around us, and it’s waiting for us to tune back in.