Women Over Fifty—The Importance of Whispers
My husband and I just returned from spending an exhilarating and mind-expanding week in New York City. Without a doubt, there is no sensory experience quite like taking a few bites out of the Big Apple. From the cacophony of blaring horns, to the taste bud pleasing delicacies offered up in the many fine restaurants; from exquisite art by world-renowned masters to the crush of millions of rushing pedestrians crammed onto crowded sidewalks, your senses are awash in vivid experiences found only in a very few celebrated places throughout the world.
As exciting as this great city is, however, it does seem to lack one thing: silence. Natives may know of a few choice places of silent refuge in Central Park or specified areas in the great libraries and museums. But for the casual traveler, it’s the hustle and bustle, the rush of movement, and the noise that one remembers.
As we grow older, it seems that silence becomes more important. For many women over fifty, there’s a natural shift from seeking external rewards and validation to focusing on a more contemplative, inner world. We start to pay greater attention to our inner knowing and the sometimes small but often insistent psychic nudges that come our way.
Camille Olivia Strate has written a book about these nudges and how they played out in her own life. Whispers: The Often Subtle Sometimes Rowdy Voice of Truth is a collection of simple, truthful stories of connection to family, gratitude for the healing powers of food, animals, and nature, and the wisdom of the universal spirit that resides within each of our souls.
I interviewed the author on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. Camille spoke to some of the ideas expressed in her “little book.” Do yourself a favor, spend fifteen minutes, and take a listen to this woman of insight and depth. Then do yourself an addutional favor and order her book. If you go by word count and number of pages, Whispers might well be described as “little.” But it is a giant of a read and will touch your heart profoundly. As one of her reviewers wrote: “Strate’s words continue to whisper in my thoughts, while her inspiration grows loud upon the conscience. Listen. Live. And start with Camille’s book…”
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October 23rd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I love New York; I was conceived there! But its noise and shadows (lack of sun obscured by tall buildings) are reasons it’ll remain a nice place to visit, where I wouldn’t want to live. I feel blessed to be married to some someone so compatible with me about our need for “the silence.” Often I our house sounds like a cathedral. All you can hear are candles flickering and an occasional cat meow! (I’m assuming all cathedrals have a stray cat that wanders in occasionally!) I appreciate the referral to this book, Eileen. It sounds right up my alley, and I have to say, I have become much more inner as I’ve matured. Our country spends millions of dollars exploring outer space, but I think inner space is the truly unconquered territory!
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:02 am
We always seem to be on the same wavelength Eileen. I’ve been pondering this exact notion for a while these days. I have so much chatter, clutter, noise and distractions in my life that I can hardly hear myself think.
Sometimes are brains have been over-stimulated for so long that the quiet and lack of stimulation scares us. It feels unnatural in some way and so we reach for the remote, or the telephone or the computer
I did a post on my blog a while back called The Sound of Silence. I had read another blog where the author talked about ditching her cell phone, television and computer for a long period of time – I want to say 2 years. She said it was remarkable what it did for her creativity and ability to heal from all kinds of crap she had been toting around that she didn’t even know existed until she got quiet enough to hear it.
It’s a fascinating idea – silence. I could use a bit more of it myself.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
I agree with you about NYC, Eileen. Exhilarating! But, just walking down the sidewalk, it’s hard to hear yourself think! I’ll look forward to your interview with Camille and checking out her book.
http://marycunninghambooks.com
http://woofersclub.com
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:46 am
Eileen~
Thank you so much for the lovely piece AND for the beautiful opportunity to be on your show. It was SO much fun! You, dear One, are an angel on this lovely planet!
My heart~
Camille