Last weekend Dave and I took advantage of a long-standing invitation from our friends Kathy and Paul to come for a weekend visit at their home on Virginia’s Northern Neck . I’d been looking forward to the opportunity to the break in our routine. It’s been a long, hot summer and after the events in Charlottesville two weeks ago, I was ready to distance myself from the place and conversational noise.
We spent two and a half blissful quiet days on “the Rivah” where time seems to stand still. Everything we did was quiet, whether while driving the back roads through fields of corn and soybeans, stopping by to read a historic marker, sipping a glass on wine at a local winery or just sitting on the bank watching the water. For the most part, the only “noise” was the cordial conversation between friends or the occasional blue heron squawking as it took flight. There was no television, no radio, no Twitter or news (although I have to admit I did check my email a couple of times). It was more than nice, it was restorative.
I thought I’d become numb to the ugly noise but having spent the time away, it’s pretty obvious that I haven’t.
I took the ride along with you in my mind’s eyes. It is a little pathetic that golden silence and the beauty of nature is something we crave. It’s like receiving a Christmas present or seeing a loved one after many years. It’s right here all around us but somehow the noise interrupts our day and sometimes our life. I strive never to let that happen. Thank you for reminding me.