a year of silence

2/9/14

  I have encountered my first (and certainly not my last) major financial expense because of my silence. I was forced to cancel some flight reservations i had made on a popular travel web site prior to my going silent. An emergency had occurred, making it impossible for me to make the trip.
  Usually, when this kind of situation arises you are given a credit (after various penalty fees are deducted) towards rescheduled travel on the airline you had originally booked. But apparently, you MUST reschedule by phone in order to use this money. I was informed that there is absolutely no other way to utilize this credit. You have one year from the date of the original booking to do this transaction.
  Since i will not use my voice, this money appears to be forfeit. I could easily ask a friend to call for me and handle the rescheduling of my travel arrangements, but that would negate the purpose of my silence project. Having someone speak for you is the same as speaking yourself "noise-wise", so it is not an option as far as i'm concerned.
  I feel sorry for people who are physically unable to speak in this kind of circumstance. I wonder what other situations will arise in which making noise is a requirement, not an option?

2/10/14

  While i do not want this blog to be a tedious accounting of my day to day activities, something has just occurred which relates to yesterday's entry. I have encountered another "bump" on my quiet road.
  I was leaving an establishment and someone in front of me courteously held the door open for me. My usual response to a kindness such as this, is to smile and quietly mouth the words, "thank you". But in this instance, the person's back was to me and they were unaware of my efforts. The outcome of this arrangement was the person muttering in an angry voice, "you're welcome!",  as they strode away in front of me.
  I value and employ good manners in all aspects of my life. I think good manners are an important part of making everyday life more pleasant for everyone. It disturbs me that due to my insistence on remaining silent, this person may hesitate to hold the door for someone else in the future. In this instance, my silence may have effected the world in a negative, rather than positive way.
  It wasn't the person who held the door's fault, but i find myself wishing they had just looked at me and thereby become more aware of the context of the situation.