And You Would Say?I was wondering about this voluntary silence thing - almost like contemplatives, yet almost like a punishment. I wonder if oblates often go in for sometimes the same underlying reason?
But if you don't have to put your words out there for others to crash down on such as "Be sweet." "Be Kind" "Why do you let them run over you like that" "Why do you let them buffalo you?" "Don't act like that, my friends live in this town." "We must be harder on ourselves than we are on others." "Why are you so hard on yourself?"
Paradoxes out of the same mouth till you don't know whether you are coming or going and still at 45 you don't understand the rules.
So if you kept quiet and didn't offer anything out - what are you saying inside. You. yourself. You at 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, 63.
One time I thought I had multiple personality disorder until I realized that all of the people we were never go away and talk all at once, with all their beliefs - talking among themselves. They each have their own kinds of wisdom and irrational fears.
What are they saying that we need to listen to without being fogged up by what everyone else is saying. If we don't listen to them - how do we know to rest easy we've been listening to everyone else instead of listening to the all of us's, giving them what we always wanted - just for one day - a truly listening ear.
Maybe giving them each a day to do what they love best. Not all in one week but spread out so they all have delicious time to think about it and plot and plan.
Mmmmmm - - -sounds like hope and a letting go of expectations and just being. | 
