It was the shock of Silence....
We were sitting out in the back yard. The sun was setting. It was cool enough for a fire and that's what we had. It was silent except for the shared thoughts between the 'Ol Sage and myself. The topic for the evening was shocking events in our lives. To my amazement we shared a common opinion...silence can be more shocking than a thunderous boom or a slamming door. Silence can leave you bewildered, disconnected and baffled. The silence that comes from loss. When you face a vacuum. When you face the absence of a loved one, friend, or purpose in life. Yes, silence can often be the biggest shock we deal with in our lifetime. And, we often meet this foe more than once.
When it's hot coffee on the lap, we sue. When it's a Tornado, we pull together and help each other. When it's war, we gear to serve, support or leave town. When it's a rock to the head, someone calls an ambulance. When it's domestic violence, we duck for cover. When it's a robbery, we realize we forgot our wallet and quietly withdraw. When you can see the enemy or the source of pain, you can take action. When the problem is silence, the strategic plan is more difficult and we rarely can muster community support for our pain.
It was the pain of silence that Lincoln often struggled with, according to the 'Ol Sage. He often carried the pain silently. The problems with Mary. The death of his son, Todd. And, in addition, he had the frustrations of being President in a national time of struggle that threatened the unity of this great nation. He had plenty of major "silence"....loses and frustrations that were not easily shared with others. And that brought us to another characteristic of "The Shock of Silence"....it's there, it's real but it's an individual experience often delt with alone. That aloneness factor makes it much more painful and memorable.
So, as you know, we were in the midst of a beautiful sun set. We were still sitting in the back yard by the fire. It felt close to heaven but our topic was a painful subject that was detracting from the beauty of the moment. It was the 'Ol Sage who turned to me and leaning slightly my way made his suggestion. His thought was truly American. "Lets change the subject!". "Lets talk about the sunset." He suggested, we should let the pain go and enjoy the moment. And, if anyone in pain should stop by, we'll sit real still and hope they don't see us and ruin the moment. After all, it's America. It's a time to relax! It's a time to avoid The Shock of Silence!
We ended the evening with glowing embers in the fire circle. A little humor trickled in as we considered how a few Heartland folks chase Tornadoes. A few other folks run to the house fires. Others run to the scene of domestic abuse. Few folks know or run to the scene of "silence". And with that attempt at humor, the 'Ol sage rose and walked off the property. But, he didn't walk down the driveway. He walked toward the field. I asked his plans. He replied that his plan was to stay off the road. Walk the fields home. Avoid the danger of encountering any "Shock of Silence" and ruining this peaceful moment he had found here in the Heartland.
