Who ever thought brooks should babble, should really sit down in a public space for bit. Because the sounds of cool water slipping past patchy grass, pebbles and soil, is not remotely comparable to the grating voices of middle-aged women discussing fitness gear, dinner parties and wedding plans. I've become taken with silence. I finally understand why it is coveted and cherished. Silence is when life tries to speak to you. This is something I didn't entirely grasp when I was younger and noise was the only validation of living I had. But the thing about silence that is much like noise, is that you can only tolerate so much. And then it's no longer a validation- but an uncomfortable pause that won't stop until you respond to life.