Silence

I didn't talk today.

Most people have a reason to shut up, something they're trying to say by being silent.

I was silent to find what it is I need to say.

It started with a homemade button and my favorite punctuation, which was mistaken as ice cubes for approximately 90% of the day.

I didn't warn anyone of this, or give any explanation, which made things very awkward for everyone. Being pretty darn sociable by nature, it was quite difficult to enter a conversation without having to say anything. They noticed by the first couple shrugs and laughs and thumbs-up's.

"Are you not talking today?"

They're kind of used to me trying weird stuff out on them.

I'd point to the button and they'd ask if they were ice cubes and I would draw an ellipsis on a sticky note and they would act like they got it.

But the funniest part of it all was what people would say before they knew I wasn't going to say anything:

"Shady! I need your help!"
"..."
"Why does the book start with Jem breaking his arm saying it was Dill's fault?"
"..."
"How did Dill's arrival have anything to do with Bob Ewell trying to kill Jem?"
"..."
"Are those sticky notes?"
"..."
"Are you not talking today?"


"Shady! I love your face!"
"..."
"What socks are you wearing today?"
"..."
"THOSE ARE SO COOL."
"..."
"Hey that's a cool button, too. Is that the button we told you to paint over?"
"..."
"You should make me one!"
"..."
"Haha wow, awfully quiet there, eh?"
"..."
"Garsh why am I so Canadian."
"..."
"I'm not even from Canada though. I'm from Texas."
"..."
"Something feels weird."
"..."
"Are you not talking today?"


"Hey Susie."
"..."
"How much do you hate me?"
"..."
"You're really not talking today, are you."


"I missed you."
"..."
"Sorry, it needed to be said."
"..."
"Well now I feel weird."
"..."
"Is that an ellipsis button?"
"..."
"Shady, why didn't you tell me you stopped talking? I would've done it with you."


Whenever I would have to answer someone, or ask for something, or say thank you and polite stuff like that, I would write it out on a sticky note. Which means now I have a sticky note pad filled with every thought gone expressed today, in chronological order. Which gives an interesting perspective on what it is I am doing with my words.

And a very real answer as to what it is I need to say.

These are the highlights.

I can, and I did, and you should too.

Words are like molecules and constellations, taken for granted and forgotten, though so very, very vital. If we start to use them more sparingly - like a limited resource, for instance - maybe we'll start to realize that all we're ever leaving behind us are bad jokes on sticky notes and footprints in the driveway.

Note - (The plan is to keep doing this kinda sporadically until I get in the habit of saying stuff that means something, all the time.)