"Have you had your silence today?"

I don't want to talk about the sound of silence (although I think it has a sound) I just want to know if you have enjoyed silence. I'm not talking about nobody talking to you while you study or check your email, I'm talking about you shutting everything off (EVERYTHING!!! Including cellphones, computers, pda's, books, people, girlfriend/boyfriend, your mind) and just sitting. This is the most relaxing thing to do (and at this point in the semester we need relaxation).
I often think that old-timers had it all figured out. We used to have this neighbor who every night during the warm weather months he would come and sit on his porch from like 5 until 9. Wouldn't really talk much just sat there; now me being the idiotic elementary/high school kid couldn't figure out why he would want to do that until I tried it. It's amazing how things get put into perspective when you sit and watch the world go by. Its amazing what you hear: birds chirping, people talking and laughing, children playing, your heart beating, the thud of a baseball getting caught, the intensity of the basketball game at the park, the TV inside, etc. And at the end of your break (be it five minutes or 4 hours) you feel refreshed, blessed to have been able to spend time doing nothing. Its amazing what you learn about God when you just sit there (the whole "Be still and know that I am God" is an extremely interesting concept in that God tells the reader to sit down, shut up, and realize God's Godness). So here's a challenge for you: take 5, 10 minutes today and sit down and shut up. Don't check your mail or think about that project, forget about the finals or those demerits, let go of the job/money concerns (your going to have those for the next twenty years no matter what you do and so stressing about them now wont help any anyway). Instead of these distractions look at the world around you, listen to the world around you. Look at the amazing complexity of a blade of grass and the simplicity of a field of grass, pay attention to the amazing blue that the sky is (or the grey that it is, there both amazing), listen to the sounds around you, your dormmates involved in their own lives, sports practice outside, children playing, birds singing, the breeze blowing outside, your own heart beating. Get away from your normal routine and just let the world go by.


For no points but many props can somebody tell me the ancient pop culture reference contained in the title. [as with all internet competitions RuthAnn is not allowed to join and Dale is also forbidden entry in this competition.])