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Linda-Susan Beard's Visit

Sharaai's picture
Submitted by Sharaai on Sun, 12/09/2012 - 7:59pm

"Silence is pregnant, not empty.”

When Linda-Susan Beard came to our class, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that I had heard her name in class and during my time at Bryn Mawr but that was all I knew of her.

But when she began to speak, I was immediately pulled in. I was worried that I was going to have a hard time paying attention since I had such a long week but I was completely pulled in from the beginning.

What I appreciated the most from her time was when she said “Silence is pregnant, not empty.” I think it stuck with me because that has always been my trouble with silence, it’s lack of emptiness. Coming into this class, my definition of silence was non-existnat to be exact but I felt as if I had some ideas of what I thought it was. It was always something that lacked substance. I didn’t see the purpose of it to be honest. But what LSB was saying began to define some of the meaning and purposes that silence has become for me. Silence is a practice I am looking forward to explore after this course and I hope to keep in mind her idea’s of silence.

"Silence is pregnant, not empty.”

When Linda Susan Beard came to our class, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that I had heard her name in class and during my time at Bryn Mawr but that was all I knew of her.

But when she began to speak, I was immediately pulled in. I was worried that I was going to have a hard time paying attention since I had such a long week but I was completely pulled in from the beginning.

What I appreciated the most from her time was when she said “Silence is pregnant, not empty.” I think it stuck with me because that has always been my trouble with silence, it’s lack of emptiness. Coming into this class, my definition of silence was non-existnat to be exact but I felt as if I had some ideas of what I thought it was. It was always something that lacked substance. I didn’t see the purpose of it to be honest. But what LSB was saying began to define some of the meaning and purposes that silence has become for me. Silence is a practice I am looking forward to explore after this course and I hope to keep in mind her idea’s of silence. 

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sdane's picture

I really liked that quote

Submitted by sdane on Sun, 12/09/2012 - 11:55pm.

I really liked that quote too, Sharaai.  And I think that pregnancy as a metaphor can be taken even further - to go beyond thinking about silence as "full," but, like pregnancy, often also scary, and dangerous, and joyful all at the same time.  For me, rather than having "trouble with silence," I used to assume that true silence was something I was incapable of reaching, because there is always a running commentary in my head, even when doing something like guided meditation.  But Prof. Beard (and other discussions/readings from over the course of the semester) have helped me to realize that silence can  sometimes be loud and full.  Moreover, taking time for silence, despite its lack of emptiness, can actually provide the crucial time and space to deal with some of the thoughts our heads are full with when all else is silent.

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