The Quiet

I love the quiet, especially of the early morning. It is said that early morning is the best time to meditate and I believe it, everything feels so gentle, so calm. Walking along the morning dew clings to your skin like a kiss that holds the promise for a sacred day. It's amazing how the world feels before everyone wakes up. Living in California, I can never take this time for granted. The noise will begin as the first neighbors wake up around 5:30 and begin their day, cars start to roll and just in the distance the freeway comes alive. But now before the dawn it's like being at home when the electricity goes out and you suddenly realize how much noise the refrigerator makes.

I love quiet places. This brought about my love for New Orleans. By reputation you would expect there to be twenty four hour noise, but get just a few blocks away from the tourists and the quite of the neighborhoods engulf you. I have never figured out if the acoustics of the city were brought about by the architecture or the heavy moisture in the air or what, but for me it is one of my quite places. When there I love walking along the banks of the Mississippi River. I've always said that my body lives in California, but my soul lives there. But in really thinking about it I tend to thrive in any quite place and yet I love living in a city. I don't know what that says about me.

I love driving in the quiet. I remember sneaking out as a teenager and riding my motorcycle around the quiet city. Today, I drive with my radio and music off when I am alone. Just listening to the sound of my tires on the road, humming a quite song.

The quiet seems to intensify our connection to the divine. My life feels like a prayer in the early morning. Each action is a communication with God, that isn't the same later in the day even if the actions are exactly the same. Even doing on the dishes takes on a different spirit before the sun comes up. And the way that we are gentle with ourselves in the morning is sublime. Speaking in a whisper to the dogs even if no one else is at home. I worked for Starbucks Coffee Company as a manager for years and always felt lucky to open my store. I hated it when corporate mandates insisted that managers only work 9-5 slots. I fell out of the habit of waking up at 3:30 am and I have to say that I have missed it. Of course there is more than me in my house to take into consideration when it comes to being up at this hour so I will cherish my alone time this morning, knowing that it rarely happens around here.