19. Vow of Silence
I watched 'Eat, Pray, Love' last night. Good film: enjoyable, funny, a feeling of adventure and far away horizons ... just what I need these days.
It did inspire me (which is really what one looks for when one watches a film, is it not?) so I decided to experiment with the 'vow of silence'.
I thought about the following:
- I won't have to repeat things a hundred times to no avail
- I won't get frustrated when my instructions are not heard
- I won't have to remind everyone that I simply cannot hear them when they are calling me from the top floor and I am in the kitchen or in the garden shed. Increasing volume does not help.
- I won't have to find an answer to annoying questions such as 'Mum, I need Vans Old Skool Tie Dye! They're soooooooooooo beautiful.'
- Peace?
- Inner peace? Who knows? That is what experiments are for.
Initially I forgot about this vow of silence. It was past 2 o'clock when I remembered. So I shut up instantly. No-one noticed anything. That was not as frustrating as during my 'stay-in-bed' experiment. I was not dependent on people in this case. In fact it was people who were going to notice how dependent on me they were. 😊
Then it happened. One of the kids was needing something urgent, a highly important matter was under way and something just as important and crucial was preventing them from coming all the way down the stairs to tell me in plain human language.
I remembered I was on a silent vow. And I was already enjoying it.
The voice from up the stairs went on and on. I was deaf to it. Bliss!
Enjoying the feeling I suddenly jumped as I heard someone clattering down the stairs at high speed (See: urgent matter) shouting at the top of their voice at the same time.
Normally I would have said: 'Quiet down those stairs, this house has probably been standing for well over 100 years and it is still standing ... And you lot in it for a decade or two and doing more damage than two world wars ... ' or something along those lines.
But I kept quiet.
The messenger responsible for dealing with the urgent matter looked at me, almost furious, which was very unreasonable as I was perfectly calm.
'YOU ARE HERE? !'
Smile. (Translate: of course I am! Remember 'social distancing, lockdown, virus, emergency, bla bla bla ... )
'Well? Can't you hear me? My little sister has been in the bathroom for an hour and 12 minutes! I need the bathroom! I've got a Skype meeting in 10 minutes!'
My goodness! This was an urgent matter indeed. I nearly broke my vow on the spot. Just as well I did not because I could not think of which of the two issues brought to my knowledge was the one to be considered urgently. 1) How can you spend an hour in the bathroom in the middle of the day? Especially as we are under lockdown. Or 2) Does my sweet baby girl need make-up to go on a Skype rendez-vous?
Pause.
'Why are you not saying anything? Is it because you are just going to find excuses for little baby girl again! But me, oh no, not me, you never take me seriously! I am not a baby anymore! Can't you see?'
Slammed door.
Door opens again.
'You're nor speaking or something?'
Slammed door.
Door opens again.
'That is just really bizarre, mum! But OK! That's fine. You do not want to do your job as a parent? Well, fine! I am going to deal with this problem myself.'
Slammed door.
Door opens again.
'Mum, by the way. You are acting ... bizarre ... '
Slammed door.
Silence. 😎
It did inspire me (which is really what one looks for when one watches a film, is it not?) so I decided to experiment with the 'vow of silence'.
I thought about the following:
- I won't have to repeat things a hundred times to no avail
- I won't get frustrated when my instructions are not heard
- I won't have to remind everyone that I simply cannot hear them when they are calling me from the top floor and I am in the kitchen or in the garden shed. Increasing volume does not help.
- I won't have to find an answer to annoying questions such as 'Mum, I need Vans Old Skool Tie Dye! They're soooooooooooo beautiful.'
- Peace?
- Inner peace? Who knows? That is what experiments are for.
Initially I forgot about this vow of silence. It was past 2 o'clock when I remembered. So I shut up instantly. No-one noticed anything. That was not as frustrating as during my 'stay-in-bed' experiment. I was not dependent on people in this case. In fact it was people who were going to notice how dependent on me they were. 😊
Then it happened. One of the kids was needing something urgent, a highly important matter was under way and something just as important and crucial was preventing them from coming all the way down the stairs to tell me in plain human language.
I remembered I was on a silent vow. And I was already enjoying it.
The voice from up the stairs went on and on. I was deaf to it. Bliss!
Enjoying the feeling I suddenly jumped as I heard someone clattering down the stairs at high speed (See: urgent matter) shouting at the top of their voice at the same time.
Normally I would have said: 'Quiet down those stairs, this house has probably been standing for well over 100 years and it is still standing ... And you lot in it for a decade or two and doing more damage than two world wars ... ' or something along those lines.
But I kept quiet.
The messenger responsible for dealing with the urgent matter looked at me, almost furious, which was very unreasonable as I was perfectly calm.
'YOU ARE HERE? !'
Smile. (Translate: of course I am! Remember 'social distancing, lockdown, virus, emergency, bla bla bla ... )
'Well? Can't you hear me? My little sister has been in the bathroom for an hour and 12 minutes! I need the bathroom! I've got a Skype meeting in 10 minutes!'
My goodness! This was an urgent matter indeed. I nearly broke my vow on the spot. Just as well I did not because I could not think of which of the two issues brought to my knowledge was the one to be considered urgently. 1) How can you spend an hour in the bathroom in the middle of the day? Especially as we are under lockdown. Or 2) Does my sweet baby girl need make-up to go on a Skype rendez-vous?
Pause.
'Why are you not saying anything? Is it because you are just going to find excuses for little baby girl again! But me, oh no, not me, you never take me seriously! I am not a baby anymore! Can't you see?'
Slammed door.
Door opens again.
'You're nor speaking or something?'
Slammed door.
Door opens again.
'That is just really bizarre, mum! But OK! That's fine. You do not want to do your job as a parent? Well, fine! I am going to deal with this problem myself.'
Slammed door.
Door opens again.
'Mum, by the way. You are acting ... bizarre ... '
Slammed door.
Silence. 😎
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