nothing is silent

The most common answer from colleagues regarding their December break was ‘looking forward to a rest’.

I was going to look back at the Instagram snaps I have taken recently – but they are past, of little importance. They were of the moment, and those moments have passed.

And so to the Christmas hiatus… Nothing to be done… The interim is ours… ‘The rest’ is silence…

A season of sparkles and shadows.

To really see what’s before us, we first need to listen… to the unsaid, to the silence, to the rest.

In the UK our winter festivals are dominated by light and darkness, which perhaps amplifies or illuminates vulnerable aspects of our human condition. I loosely think of Plato’s cave, (loosely).
At ‘Christmas’ our world is full of reflections, shadows, projections, and fables, that excite, challenge, delight, and entice…  The cave walls amuse a kaleidoscope of possibility, reminiscence, hope, and delight… nothing is silent.

When the lights fade, the depth of echos can be heightened. After ‘the show’, we are perhaps left with… silence… only memories. When the action ends, the characters stop… There is little that is concrete, only memory, and the unsaid.

Breath out; sink beneath the thoughts…
Breathe in; rise above them… 

Now can be a time when trust can win and fear can be muted. Yes, we can delight in the reflections, shadows, projections, and fables; supreme fictions that excite, challenge, delight, and entice… nothing is silent.

But to really see what’s before us, we first need to listen… to the unsaid, to the silence, to the rest.

The ‘rest’ is a pause, or an interruption, a break in the music… (which can be a good time for a trumpet player to catch their breath!)

The Rest is also an uncelebrated but delightful compilation album from 2012 by Deacon Blue. Enjoy the rest.