English Essay: SiIence

I wrote this quite along time ago. On 19th March, to be exact.

Life is noisy. Birds and roosters begin chirping at the crack of dawn, closely followed by loud horns of school buses, vans, cars, and motorbikes. After people have left for work and schools, one expects some peace and quiet. But no: everyone has awakened by now, and life’s hustle and bustle does not spare a moment of silence. The neighbour’s baby has just awakened from her nap. A shrill cry again interrupts the stillness of the atmosphere. The mother of the infant hushes her, singing a lullaby in her loud voice as she puts her off to sleep. One cannot help but sigh.

Not far off in the distance, some labourers have begun their day’s work of demolishing an old broken-down bungalow. A fruit seller walks down the lane, yelling loudly to inform the neighbourhood that he is here to sell his ware. An occasional motorbike passes down the street, interrupting the serenity of the morning. One realizes it will be impossible to find a moment of silence throughout the day.

But sometimes, as we often fail to realize, sound can be a good thing. It can have the same ‘soothing’ properties of silence. Sounds can be pleasant, and can help one to relax and refresh. Some sounds, such as those of birds chirping away merrily and the sounds of the sea can be beautiful. It is crucial to understand the fine difference between noise and sound. Noise is disturbing, whereas sound can be pleasant as well.

However, this does not lessen the value and importance of silence. Silence is essential for some activities, for instance, reading or studying. Silence encourages concentration. A silent environment allows one to focus, without interruptions, on the task he/she is supposed to do. It also enhances the quality of work and effectiveness, which is why you have to maintain a silent atmosphere in places such as offices and libraries.

Sometimes, the sounds around us seem disturbing and unpleasant. One wishes there were no sounds at all so that he/she could concentrate solely on what he/she is doing without any distractions or interruptions. It is very true that sounds are inevitable, and also that they can be quite annoying, but that does not mean that we should start loathing the sounds around us in thirst for silence. At times, the charm of sounds can be akin to that of silence.