So many wonderful things happen when one is allowed to be quiet. A quiet Sunday leads one to reflection and then perhaps an afternoon of reading. A quiet atmosphere strengthens self awareness and understanding. Quiet meals help one eat more slowly and carefully, while perhaps making healthier choices. A quiet living room provides the location for meaningful discussion and interaction with friends and family.
Quietness is radically counter-cultural. Students need space to practice being quiet. It is an art to be alone and silent. For a student to recognize the perfect spot where he or she belongs in the world requires silence. Instead, our students' days are filled with endless technological noise: computers, blaring televisions, radios and video games. They experience daily the jarring sounds of our school buildings: bells, an intrusive public announcement system, noisy classrooms and shouting teachers, abusive and ill mannered classmates, and painfully loud and aesthetically ugly cafeterias. There is little time left in their day to practice the art of silence...to really listen. Silence is golden and sacred and listening requires time and as many quiet Sundays as possible.
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