Dog Days

Inspirational song: Jumpin' at the Woodside (Count Basie)

I tend to have some sort of noise playing at all times in this house. It's usually the television, or sometimes I set one of the computers going with all of my music library playing on an endless shuffle. Silence is difficult for me to tolerate right now. During the past, it wasn't a problem. There were enough humans in the house for me to appreciate my calm, quiet times, when I could read or simply lose myself in my thoughts. But now, when all I hear is the hum of electronics, an occasional throaty sigh of a bored dog sleeping on the floor, and maybe the scratching of a cat paw against the litter box, silence is no longer my friend. It makes the seconds tick more slowly. Yes, I taught myself a year ago to slow down, and pay attention to the moments in the day, so I wouldn't throw away the year while I waited for my man to come home. But now, with him already two months overdue, and no official return date in the immediate future, I'm tired of slowing down time. I'm getting very excited about our possibilities for the next few years. I don't want to wait for it anymore. Four seasons are already under my belt, living alone. Perhaps if this summer could hurry up and move along, I could start making active plans for what comes next.

I paused my noise-making machine this evening, as the house grew dark, and I wandered around my kitchen, making what passed for supper. My heart clenched when I heard a soft gong, its note resonating for several seconds in my quiet room. It definitely originated inside the house, and I knew I was alone, or at least I hoped I was. Two panicked breaths later, I realized the sound was my favorite white cat lifting and dropping the empty metal water dish, announcing that she would like it to be filled. Once my heart slowed down, I started chuckling at myself for being gonged by a cranky judge, and I wondered whether I should start dancing like Gene Gene the Dancing Machine as I brought her a new pitcher full of water. She didn't seem to be in a joking mood, so I just poured and walked away.