muted colors

i havent actually spoken a word today. not one. havent sung any songs. havent answered my phone. havent yelled at TV commercials. from 2pm to 10:30, i have been silent.

i am thinking plenty.

i wonder how long it takes, how many days of not speaking does it take for you to actually be unable to speak? is there a time frame for muscle atrophy in your neck? how much of forming words depends on your brain telling you how to do it? and how much of speaking come from the physical movement of forming the letters? but then there is the issue of sound which means air and vocal chords. its weird. so much goes into what seems like so little.

when is the last time you didnt talk? was it out of anger? isolation? depression? how often do people NOT talk by choice free from emotional influence? we talk so much. are we ever really quiet? surely there is a balance to be found.

i think it is probably healthy to take a break from talking. we overdo most things in our society. work. food. spending. entertainment. sex. always going after more. all this excess probably wouldnt bother me as much if there were times of abstinence to balance it out. a friend once said to me that we feast as a culture every chance we get. so many social encounters revolve around food. what if we fasted food regularly to bring some balance back into our lives?

so today i am not speaking.