Final Full Day of Silence
Wow! For someone who didn’t talk for twenty days, I stayed incredibly busy! Today was no different and began with some swimming, a final visit to my current chiropractic intern who is graduating and exercise videos. I ran some errands, began to pack for another out of town weekend and then to dinner with AJ, M and D at a yummy Brazilian wine bar.
M was sure to let me know frequently that he ‘couldn’t hear me’ and that he really didn’t want to see me again unless I still wasn’t talking. It is love like this that has kept me going over these last three weeks. AJ shared some stories about his “Life with Harpo” as I reenacted key events and communication devices (pounding on things, making kissing sounds, clapping my hands loudly). D told me she was reading my blog and then proceeded to over-gesture then kick herself for doing what she had been warned of in her readings. It was a great night and the four of us had a great time, as usual.
AJ and I hurried out to meet his friend from Sea-Town in the Los Angeles area with some British folk. Oddly enough, AJ’s friend had also gone on voice rest several years ago due to polyps on her chords and was shocked I was even out in public as she had turned a bit reclusive during her bout of quiet. She is now my Voice Sister. Her friend also had a cousin who has gone on voice rest often so the group was well informed and wonderfully sympathetic. We were six in total and I had a great time and decided I want a British for myself. AJ says I might get one for Christmas. I hope it is potty trained upon arrival.
While at the bar, we were accosted by a very, um, unusual looking woman with an overbite that swallowed her tiny pointy chin and distracted from her bad skin and nasty locks. She thought she had a chance with the Brits and it was fun to not have to talk to her—I left that to my boyfriend instead. Shortly after, we wanted to show them the Sunset strip and went to the land of the Hollywood Douche- Saddle Ranch. To be fair, everything else was dead. AJ made it a good time by getting all of our guests to submit themselves to riding the bull. Oh poor out of towners!
Being at Saddle Ranch resulted in a few fun experiences like the man that looked at me like I had a single digit IQ for carrying my notebook in the bar and another patron asked why I had my diary with me. I also gave some vocal chord advice to the man who runs the bull as my Voice Sister informed him that I was on voice rest and he told us that he lost his voice frequently and was an actor on the side (of course). I watched him for a moment, assessed the behaviors that required modification and wrote him a note:
“Talk quieter than you think you have to while giving bull riding directions. Use gestures instead of shouting to get the crowd’s attention. This will save your voice.”
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am now giving advice on this topic. I can’t help it. It’s scary what happens to your voice! We wrapped up the night, said goodnight to the Brits and my Voice Sister and headed home. I spent the remainder of the night thinking in a British accent and then dreamt all night about talking and being allowed to actually talk. I knew these were my last moments of silence, my last moments tucked away behind medical leave, a notebook, and larger-than-life gestures.
