The Boy Teacher and the Father Student#70; The Sound of Silence

We do not know when it started. It just happened. Silence. Silence and more Silence. The children and wives do silence and more silence. Sound is silence. Not the sound of your voice. Cruising down the highway with that noise. Crashing waves. Running rivers. Birds. Breath. Feet walking. There is a beating sound that you can feel holding hands. A silent hug may be the best. The sun and the rain. Yes the sun makes noise if you remain quiet that which is warming or cooling makes sound like a board expanding and contracting. The sounds of silence are wonderful.

I have not figured out love. Perhaps love makes a sound, I know that hate does. You can hear and feel it. That hate from not being loved makes a noise. So it would make sense that love is the sound of a comfortable Silence. If I were hating something I would not like the sound of my silence.

Elder Boy

B: How about we just shut up and enjoy the road trip.

F: Fair enough but it seems we don’t spend enough time together and so we should communicate.

B: Maybe that is why we should stay quiet and just enjoy presence.

F: Dude you are trippy because you make noise for a living.

B: That is part of it dad.

Switch to a canyon hike – a big canyon hike.

B: Common dad pick up the pace to get to camp.

F: Go on I like being right here, right now.

B: Dad you are the last in all of us. I can’t leave you alone.

F: Son I need to smell and see and not hear the chatter, plus you know I am pooped out a good rest will to me well.

B: I can’t leave you here alone. You’re too old and feeble.

F: Jerk! Now leave me be.

B: But that rope climb you should not do by yourself.

F: Good point son. Let’s go. But slow down so I can see and hear.

B: You know you are just making excuses for being out of shape.

F: Yes that must be part of it. But what good is being in shape if all that means is that you hurry. Maybe I am getting older and out of shape so that I slow down and listen.

Now this 30 something guy and I really do have conversations like that. Just could because we both have degrees in philosophy. Or maybe he is just a great teacher.

We switch here to a youngest daughter just turning 30 in a few days. Probably more educated than me out of Berkeley. She is a super conservationist. She has helped me have as close to a Zero Carbon Footprint as I can. A full on treat to me.

D: Dad you have to plant more.

F: Check out all those weeds. We just think we should “grow” things but I say we must let them grow by themselves. I know you get that. I do not water weeds or trees.

D: Good point, you are starting to get it.

F: Hey check this out you can hear them. The bougainvillea’s make a noise in the sun or the breeze. Hold my hand and listen.

D: Wow that is really cool. The flowers are great.

F: Do I look like a weirdo not pulling all the weeds in my rose garden.

D: Who cares? Shssh I can hear the bees.

F: Thanks for telling me to listen to them and give them water and such.

D: Let’s listen to this new music.

F: Ok, I will try to just shut up.

D: Basically impossible for you dad.

F: Hey in that canyon that you have hiked with us it was so bitchin cool we saw an owl but the coolest part was that we heard it’s wings flapping.

D: Wow, Gabe can just be just and quiet and listen for that?

F: Do not look at me. You taught him that. Thanks.

D: You should come hear the river where I live it sounds like Oak Creek.

F: That is the only place I ever got your mom to stop and be quiet. Does she still do that.

D: Dad that is unrealistic. You do know that most people can’t do that?

And the sound of silence beats down on us like a perfect day in the sun. No good for us to convince each other but all to the good for understanding each other.

The youngest, Gabe on the way home from school and we stop under a crab apple tree in the heat.

F: Son do you know you are a genius like your Hay your big sister?

B: Yes I understand it but E beats me in math and C beats me in reading.

F: Do not think of it as a gift, think of it as a burden and a responsibility.

B: Dad I don’t get it. So I am super smart?

F: Like smarter than your mom or teacher. Take my word for it, it is not fun. Maybe you are smarter than me.

B: That makes no sense to me. I want to be like R and just have fun.

F: That is the most fun of it, you can have a blast with learning and a blast with doing silly stuff. You see you friends who beat you at school are pushed and taught over and over again. You just love to learn. Do not look at me.

B: I guess I get it. Is that why you make me play. Even though I am in the top five worldwide in my game?

F: I reckon so son. I just do my best. They call me one of those because I get equation, E=mc2, kind of like E is for energy, M kind of for mass and C for the speed of light like 2X’s the billionth. And that rascal of the Trinity. We just talk about that stuff but you pretty much get it which is scary.

B: I do not want to scare anyone that is like a bully.