Still

Confrontations with Silence

Oregon · USA

When quiet space can’t be arranged, seek it out, pay homage to it, and defend it from all manner of intrusion. Those who invite disruption upon it, whether by will, oblivion, or indifference, can find their interests better served elsewhere. Here, extraneous sound is the miasma of contemplation, of connection, of introspection. This is fertile ground for the cultivation of both creativity and inner peace, but only if the sphere that walls it off from prepossession is kept intact—an active endeavor, not a passive one. It’s here that I’m most mindful about pausing with silent intention, and it could be minutes, hours, or even days before I’m fully conscious of having captured a photo from this sacred space.