Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’ve tasked myself with throwing open the cabinet of curiosities and wondrous things I call my brain and leading you on a tour of what actually resides in there – all through the lens of unusual, obscure, or simply charming-to-me words.
S is for..
silience – n. the kind of unnoticed excellence that carries on around you every day, unremarkably—the hidden talents of friends and coworkers, the fleeting solos of subway buskers, the slapdash eloquence of anonymous users, the unseen portfolios of aspiring artists—which would be renowned as masterpieces if only they’d been appraised by the cartel of popular taste, who assume that brilliance is a rare and precious quality, accidentally overlooking buried jewels that may not be flawless but are still somehow perfect. (Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows)
I love this word deeply, just as I love the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows deeply. If you don’t know about this gem, here is the author’s description:
”The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig. Each original definition aims to fill a hole in the language—to give a name to emotions we all might experience but don’t yet have a word for.”
There are people who chafe at the idea of Koenig’s work, as though it’s some kind of abomination or gross egoism that he might deign to create new words, but truthfully that kind of attitude makes me laugh. All words were created at one time or another, and so why not celebrate someone who is examining his world and finding situations which no current word exists and creating one.
The very fact that he does this – that WE can do this – is actually one of the lovely examples for me of today’s beautiful word silience.
Don’t you feel a deep down welling of excitement considering that indeed we live in a world filled with unnoticed excellence and hidden talents, buried jewels? Just holding that makes me want all the more to hone my listening, sharpen my observational skills, exponentially expand my gratitude and appreciation, and walk differently through this world. And truly that’s what I try to do, what I’m committed to, what I encourage others to open to.
I firmly believe in these wise words from Anne Lamott:
“Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, much is given. We just have to be open for business.”
It delights me that amazing things can be little and fleeting – not everything has to be a big deal CAPITAL LETTERS kind of thing. We go about our lives and there is literally magic all around us, we simply have to shift our awareness from distracted to curious.
And don’t your find it part thrilling, part amusing that folks around us have hidden talents we often don’t know about? For example, I know someone who can stand in a field of clover and within seconds unfailingly discover four-leaf clovers amidst the myriad of regular 3-leaf clovers. It’s amazing and delightful.
I can never resist Gustave Flaubert’s admonishment:
“There is not a particle of life that does not bear poetry within it.”
I know what a difference this viewpoint holds for me, and I can only imagine what a difference it would make if the majority of the collective chose it as well.
Lest you think otherwise, I’m not a Pollyanna grinning fool who doesn’t understand the world offers us a myriad of sadnesses, inequalities, and genuine challenges that require our attention, our compassion, and our fierce commitment to finding solutions that aren’t simply sleight-of-hand reconfigurations of the same paradigms.
But I do believe we absolutely need to lean into seeing the world as a place that holds wonders and hidden joys and soul-nourishing beauty that can fill the wellspring of our hearts and make this journey of ours one of greater grace and vibrancy.
And I do believe Susan Sontog was right when she said:
“Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.”
Whether we’re paying attention or not, I trust the silience of our world. I believe it’s an invitation to dig more deeply, live more passionately, and acknowledge our appreciation more widely.
What about you? Do you think our everyday world is filled with hidden gems? Do you think it’s possible to choose to be more aware? Do you have a hidden talent few people know about? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
I don’t know about hidden talents but I do know it is possible to be more aware. Just this morning I noticed steam coming from the top of our coffee maker that I had NEVER noticed before and we’ve had the thing for a good 5 years or so and I make coffee EVERY morning! I guess maybe the light was shining in from the kitchen window on it or maybe I was just standing in the right place at the right time. Of course I grabbed my phone and snapped some pictures to be used I don’t know when. Lovely word, silience. (makes me think of the word silly, but also silence to enjoy what is happening around you).
Makes me smile Janet – perfect!
Beautiful post Deborah thank you. The sacred is found in the the mundane, those ordinary everyday things, the scent of rain, a clouded sky, the bee on a flower, the lizard scuttling across the pavement, the smell of newly brewed coffee –
I love what Simone Weil said ‘Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity’.
I love your quotes too – be curious, pay attention, poetry in every particle of life, be open for business –
Weil certainly had it right in my book – love those words.
Silience! I love it, and we definitely needed a new word for it 🙂
The Multicolored Diary
Yeah, pretty great isn’t it?!
I do believe the everyday world is filled with hidden gems. Different gems depending on what we find value in, of course. Your gems may not be mine!
And, yes, it’s possible to choose to be more away. It takes practice though. Practice and time. A lot, too many, of people don’t want to take the time. It isn’t easy either.
I do have a “hidden” talent, or one I just don’t use. I should. I can actually draw very well. I used to take the time to do pastel and charcoal animal portraits. They won prizes. That was decades ago, so very few people now know that I can do it. Of three children, I am the one who inherited the talent from my father, and he from his. I am wasting it, I know…
Oh you’ve kept your talent quite hidden indeed Lisa. I’m not sure you’re wasting it – if you’re not called to express in that way now, then that’s simply how it is. But it’s kind of like having a diamond in your pocket, and that’s pretty cool.
The thing is, noticing all these wonderful treasures makes us happier, and the more truly happy we are, the less likely we are to hurt each other. So if more of us spent more time enjoying the wonder, there would actually be less of the pain. Not none, of course, but less.
Black and White: S is for Space Creature
Yes Anne – that’s exactly it!
When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms ~ Mary Oliver.
This is what your post today reminded me of. Love each word of it. I am so in agreement with the idea that there is beauty and poetry all around us, in spite of all the hatred and ugliness and all the rubbish going on with 850 year old cathedrals burning and senseless attacks on Easter.
One only has to be ready to be amazed. The world is still dazzling.
I do love that Mary Oliver quote – such a beautiful intentional way to navigate life. More of that please! The world is indeed dazzling, and it’s in our power to choose to see that.
I adore these quotes and will be taking them away with me. Hidden gems are everywhere, including in the small moments of our own lives. In my current trip I’m finding them in places, people and experiences. But as Sonntag says, we have to keep our eyes and hearts open and pay attention!
I love that your finding those hidden gems in your trip Margaret. What can be better than that?!
I love the word silience and what it means. The first time around, I accidentally typed that “I *live* the word silience”, although that’s only partially true. Sometimes when I talk about or share my hidden gifts, I feel almost as if I’m betraying them ~ either because I’m promoting myself, or because I’m aware of how I might be unintentionally helping to facilitate a passing aesthetic experience (which, understandably, can be exciting, unnerving, overwhelming) rather than a more meaningful and lasting psycho-spiritual one.
As an intuitive and artist, I understand why people are drawn to and enamored by beauty in form and aesthetics, and also why so many of us fail to make the deeper connections between beauty and meaning and *praxis* in love. We see this whenever people parrot the beautiful and inspiring words of prophets and poets, thinkers, and activists, while living lives in direct contradiction to their meaning ~ with little, if any, conscious awareness of the disconnect.
Another one of my hidden talents is the ability to recognize how I’m deceiving myself.:)
You have some wonderful and useful hidden talents LB.
The idea of “betraying” your talents is most interesting, and I’ll have to give that some more thought. But I don’t believe I struggle with that in the way you’re talking about, in the sense that I’m willing to trust that there will be people in resonance with what I share or not, and not put constraints on myself based on what they may choose to receive. It’s kind of interesting though, because I’m thinking responsibility is foremost in this consideration. And yet, like many things, that has so many nuanced meanings. If I’m understanding correctly, you seem to be saying the duty/accountability aspect of responsibility to your gift/talent is the consideration you hold as your gatekeeper. I suspect I’m thinking of responsibility more in terms of someone’s ability to respond – and that of course is firmly in their court.
I love this post about silence. In the busyness of life, it’s easy to miss all kinds of wondrous and magical things. And the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows–what an intriguing title–I’m looking forward to checking it out. Thanks!
Obsure Sorrows – that is so wonderfully evocative isn’t it? I hope you get a chance to check out the dictionary, and are as delighted as I am.
Hello Deborah,
Your blog is a discovery for me! I really enjoy reading your posts with great attention. I like the way you express in words things that can not be easily explained! That is the beauty of your writing!
I have bookmarked ‘The dictionary of Obscure sorrows’. I had a brief look and I loved it too.
As per the word Silience – I think your blog falls in that category…a hidden gem.
Being aware of the surrounding helps me notice things that I usually miss. Now I am practicing to be fully aware in each moment and it helps me appreciate people and their effortless talent, who may be a roadside vendor, a careful auto driver, a flower seller or a kind shopkeeper, etc.
Oh what kind words Kislaya – thank you.
And I love how you’re noticing so much more when you pay attention – it really does make a difference doesn’t it. Beauty all around us, always!