02/18/2024
By Kate Stone Lombardi
I’m on day three of being unable to speak.
Actually, today I can make little croaking noises but I’m told not to try. Rest those vocal chords.
Did I bring this on myself? No and Yes. I’ve had a nasty virus for more than a week. Can’t help that. I have a granddaughter in daycare, and I get everything that comes down the toddler pike. I suppose I have the option of avoiding her, but that will never happen. Never. Happen.
But I did go out and teach on Tuesday night, even though I felt really crappy, and have had laryngitis ever since. So that wasn’t the smartest choice.
If I was paying big money to actually attend a silent retreat, the benefits are supposed to be multiple. Among other things, silence is suppose to imbue you with a sense of inner calm. You become more attuned to the rhythm of your own breathing, and to the gentle undulations of the natural world around you.
That’s not how it’s going around here. My husband keeps trying to talk to me. When I don’t respond her says, “What?” or “Huh?” I keep a notepad near me to communicate, but by the time I’ve written something down longhand, he’s moved on. Worse, now he feels sick.
As for my inner thoughts – they range from, “How can I possibly still be sick?” to “How am I ever going to…”
Oh never mind. I’ve already said too much.