a year of silence

3/2/14

  Noise is often employed as a means of distraction from what might be an otherwise tedious activity. We play the radio in traffic, we hum or whistle while doing housework, and we crack our knuckles while we wait in line.
  If you've ever attended a "boring" lecture, you have probably noticed that coughing, seat creaking, foot shuffling, etc, increases in direct proportion to the perceived monotony level of the speaker. With our ever decreasing attention spans, this is becoming more and more common.
  While some public speakers (and blog writers) are somewhat lacking in magnetic charisma, have we become too quick to dismiss that which is quiet and more subtle? If something or someone doesn't grab our attention in 2 or 3 minutes, do we put in our ear buds or start firing off texts to keep ourselves occupied?
  We seem more inclined to actively seek noisy distraction rather than engage in more complex thought provoking pursuits. Just being kept busy is enough to keep many of us from becoming bored.