Silence

 There is silence and there is silence.  The silence and solitude that was imposed on us by covid was oppressive.  A silence that comes from an inner energy of the heart is fulfilling.  I think we all need silence, but not if it is forced.  Telling a class of students to be silent does not do much for the interior life of the heart.  I have to remember that if I talk an about silence as a good thing some people will be turned off because they have bad memories from covid imposed aloneness.  Imposed silence only makes people want to go onto their cell phone or computers.  So I tend to read something first so that I am drawn into a more meditative space.  It keeps me off my cell phone.