BY LESLIE REGO
In today’s world, it seems that the spaces between the silences are becoming more persistent, longer, and louder. By “silence” I am referring to peacefulness, not noiselessness. How often have you been in a natural setting and a group comes along talking about work, travel, politics, or a multitude of other subjects? Long before the group arrives, one can hear snippets of conversation focusing on many subjects, but rarely on the immediate environment. It is so easy to walk, run, or ski through the woods so engrossed in our daily world that we notice little of our surroundings.
One can think of silence as uninhabited space, but I choose to think of it as the music. By “silence,” I refer to any sounds that are not manmade. The creaks of tree trunks, the sway of branches, the trills of the birds are all part of the tranquility of the woods. By listening to the quietude, our involvement deepens.
It can be really difficult to turn our busy, chattering minds off when we are in the wilderness. I find it helpful to search for the spaces between the trees or between the landmarks. I observe how wide or narrow they are and create a rhythm. Wide-open views allow for a long buildup, and then, much like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and his crescendo notes, my thoughts compose strong highlights for the trees. I pivot my head from side to side, forming my own symphony, alighting on major elements or simmering on surrounding melodies.
Sigurd Olson (1899–1982), an American author, environmentalist, and advocate for the protection of wilderness, wrote, “Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons. It is what we leave behind that is important. I think the matter of simplicity goes further than just food, equipment and unnecessary gadgets; it goes into the matter of thoughts and objectives, as well. When in the wilds, we must not carry our problems with us or the joy is lost.”
The music is in the quietude. The longer the stillness lingers, the calmer one feels. Let go of the clatter of the outside world and enter the hush environment of the forest. Create a symphony of the spaces between the noise.
Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.