4.9.19
"What writers have is a license and also the freedom to sit—to sit, clench their fists, and make themselves be excruciatingly aware of the stuff that we’re mostly aware of only on a certain level."
This is a quote from David Foster Wallace, the author of a best selling book, Infinite Jest. In 2015 a biographical movie was created about him. Wallace is regarded as one of the best authors of all time, up there with Fitzgerald and Hemmingway. I was scrolling on Netflix the other day and stumbled upon a movie called "The End of the Tour". Enchanted by Jesse Eisenberg on the cover, (what! he’s a fascinating fella!?!), I clicked to see what it was all about.
With sleepy eyes and eager ears, I listened to the movie intently. It was primarily dialogue, so if you do plan on checking it out.. stay focused. Because it definitely wasn't one of those scrolling on Twitter while watching Netflix kind of movies... also, what's up with that??? One or the other people! Big screen or little screen… you can’t have both.
*clears throat* Anyways, The lack of action may be boring to some (looking at you Tarantino fans), but Wallace, played by Jason Segal, is nothing short of extraordinary portraying Wallace. Although his demeanor and appearance may seem contradictory to such an adjective, David Foster Wallace is a unique, old soul that truly has a grip on life.
Wallace has a million and one memorable quotes, but for sake of time (and your reading attention span) let's just delve into the quote bolded underneath the title. Wallace says writers have the freedom to sit and make themselves excruciatingly aware. So often we go through our days inundating our ears with music and blabber and videos and chatter. It is rare you can ever vacate to a public vicinity and escape some kind of sound playing. It’s like we view silence as awkward. It seems as if we procrastinate thought, prolonging self reflection- we fill our ears with noise, noise, and more noise and our poor brain doesn't get any peace.
Above: A tired brain attempting to spread love and positivity.
As a generation we preach self love and self care. A trend I can totally stand behind, but I think a colossal component of this is giving ourselves a time to reflect and meditate. You may be thinking that you already give yourself relaxation time just chillin' with your favorite tunes. I know, music is cathartic, but the largest misconception is that listening to music counts as mental debriefing. It's relaxing and an amazing way to unwind, don't get it twisted. But silence reaps the most benefit.
Meditating gives you a chance to become aware of your surroundings, feelings, and mood. The silence it provides gives you an opportunity to prepare your mindset. It is imperative for us humans who reside within such a noisy culture to stay in touch with our natural volume.
Meditation doesn't have to be boring! Grab some chai tea, find a scenic place (or just your bedroom if you prefer), strive to feel clean or energized and man, just really love on yourself! It is so amazing how much you can learn about yourself while being centered and silent and simply check in with yourself. Most importantly, be proud after you do so too. It takes great strength to identify your flaws, rectify ill thoughts, and set goals.
We are always anticipating to hear or listen. Take the energy and channel it into your own being. Just be quiet and content with your surroundings. Who knows! You might even learn a thing or two about yourself.😉
Remember to be like Wallace and those other, more sophisticated writers (not those dumb bloggers), and become excruciatingly aware. Don't tune out those important messages your soul wants to share. So namaste my dear readers, get your zen on. Treat yourself with silence, your future self thanks you.
Sincerely,
One very scatterbrained blogger.
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