Sunday, April 1, 2012

Day One: Silence


Today is Day One of Thirty Days of Photography II.
The theme is SILENCE.

Please go view the other participants' photo submissions.
All of the participants are great writers.
Some will write moving stories of 250 words or less.
Some will break the rules and write more.
That's why I love them.
Rule breakers.

Go see who's cheating.
Don't be surprised if they're cheating.
It won't be the first time.
I love it!

Silence. How often I wished for it. My boys created a rowdy house with wrestling and roughhousing. Their friends ran in and out of my house with slamming doors and honking car horns. I never found a moment's silence at home.

My days were filled with classrooms of noisy teenagers. Moments of silence were rare and cherished. Those days of quiet work were the days I hoped for.  Moving into the principal's office gave me loud outbursts from students, parents and those with political motives. My best moments were those when I closed my door and shut out the noise. Sweet silence.

The kids have grown and moved. The grandkids are many miles away. Retirement from education has closed the noisy door. My house is quiet. It is Buddha and me. Peaceful. Quiet. Silent.

Be careful what you wish for.

26 comments:

Nicky said...

Sigh. I forgot that you're a photographer. My only consolation is that while you will make all my efforts look like garbage, you will also make MikeWJ's efforts look like garbage. And, in the end, that's what's important.

nonamedufus said...

Be careful what you wish for, indeed. Well put and well photo'd. Buddha and Me. Wasn't that a road-trip movie?

Unfinished Person said...

I'm with Nicky...anything to bring Michael down works for me, and this is is in that category. :)

I have to write something too? Oh, man, nobody told me that. ;)

As for rule breaking, I think Michael did that already because that post had to be over 250 words today.

laughingmom said...

I love the photograph and the sentiment of your writing. My days of "silence" are just around the corner and I am not sure that I am ready!

Elizabeth A. said...

I almost want to meditate right now. But I'm hungry,

Linda Medrano said...

Wonderful photo, Malisa! And the writing just gave me a chill. Beautiful and stunning, image and words!

Cheryl said...

Indeed. Lovely photo.

Ziva said...

I am so happy we decided to ask people to join us this time, the things people come up with astonish me. I love your take on the theme, and I love the photo, it so very serene.

mo.stoneskin said...

That's a gorgeous photo, and the shine off the Buddha is amazing.

Malisa said...

Nicky, I am not a photographer. I call myself a digital dream maker. With my theatre background, I created fantasy backgrounds and then take bad photos with my cheap ass camera.

Malisa said...

Dufus, yes, that was a road movie. Think it was titled Thelma, Louise, Buddha and Wong Foo,Thanks For Everything!

Malisa said...

Unfinished, I'm going back and counting every one of Michael's friggin' wonderful words! I'm keeping tabs.

Malisa said...

LaughingMom, you get use to it. Just when you think you want things to go back to "the old days", a kid shows up to visit and you starting counting down the days until they leave. Kidding. Sort of.

Malisa said...

Elizabeth, do what I do. Meditate about food. I'm doing it now. I'm also meditating about wine. Back later.

Malisa said...

Linda, thanks! You are so sweet. Not a very good liar, but so sweet.

Malisa said...

Cheryl, thanks for the compliment. You must be younger than me because if I got down in that position to shoot a photo, I would never get up. Thanks for making me feel bad.

Malisa said...

Ziva, thanks for the kind words. I am probably just the opposite of serene. April is my busiest month ever and I'm trying to take 30 photos and write clever things. Thanks for the invite.

Malisa said...

Mo, Buddha has oily skin. What can I say?

meleah rebeccah said...

Love, love, love, LOVE!

00dozo said...

Oh, goodness. After the day that I have had, your photo depicts the silence I so long for. (Oooh, wait .... are those poppies in the background? Even better!)

Nice entry.

;-)

Dr. Cynicism said...

Your photo captures the silence thing perfectly in my opinion. Love it!

MikeWJ at Too Many Mornings said...

Beautifully photographed and written, Malisa. I don't know why I didn't think of a Buddhist temple, either. We have two of them near our house.

Oh, and Nicky and Bryan can go to hell.

With apologies to Buddha, of course. He didn't believe in hell. Heaven, either, really. Dude was sooooo boring.

Malisa said...

Mike,

Nicky and Bryan are in hell. Cat hell. About that Buddha. He was on sale. I'm a Baptist dropout. :) Sorry. I had to do the smiley face.

Do you know that I have the biggest show of the year in three days? What am I doing? This takes mucho time! But thanks anyway, sponsor.

Linda Medrano said...

Malisa,I am a simple Mexican woman and I am not smart enough to lie. I truly loved the photo and the words. I never lie, Honey, unless my life depends on it. (Or unless I am in love.)

Kristen said...

I love the photo and I love the "careful what you wish for." it struck me right at the heart. I'm going to do the challenge too - so I look forward to seeing all your "digital creations." And ... I don't cheat.

dog eared copy said...

Yesterday, I flipped through everyone's photos and read the accompanying text. Yours was the post I kept returning to. It was the last one I looked at before I turned off my computer, got ready for bed and went to sleep in my daughter's bed! She is my only child and she is young; but your post reminded me that every moment counts. Instead of saying I'll make time later, the time is now, even if we're just hanging out, or having a pillow fight or whatever. Thank you.