As my Advanced Reporting classmates were rattling off bills from the Iowa Legislature, one stood out to me, or I should say the other student’s reactions to it stood out to me. When someone mentioned House Study Bill 32, people thought a school starting each day with a moment of silence was strange. House Study Bill 32 would require all schools to display the national and state motto. Schools would also have to “start each day of classroom instruction with silent time.” The student presenting the bill chose to focus on just this moment of silence when sharing the bill with the class. Other students just didn’t understand the purpose and thought it was odd. I couldn’t help but note this reaction.
I started every morning in Illinois public high school with a minute of silence, as it was my school’s policy. I can’t make a moment of silence seem anything but normal. It was funny that people were this weirded out by the bill and my school’s policy. What is so scary about sitting silently for a minute? It is simply a time to reflect and/or prepare for the day ahead.
I remember silence filling my first-period chemistry classroom sophomore year right after they announced our minute of silence and right before the pledge of allegiance. To this day, it is still the only time I have seen a room filled with 20-something 15-year-olds totally tranquil. It’s a powerful feeling to sit in silence with a group of people you have grown up with, all just lost in their thoughts.
The novelty wore off, but I still enjoyed the moment of silence each day. I got into a routine of remembering those I loved and praying for them. It was a time to strengthen my relationship with my loved ones and acknowledge their positive impact on my life. Sure, it was only in my head, but it helped me to be grateful for everything I was blessed with.
After learning about this bill, I also realized that since high school, I have not prioritized sitting in quiet and reflecting. I wear my headphones 24/7. Every homework assignment I do, I do it wearing headphones. For every walk, I take it with headphones in and loud music blasting.
It’s not just me, though. This is normal these days. I wonder if this bill is so shocking because the idea of sitting in silence is so shocking to people. These days, we are constantly entertained and scared of being left alone with our thoughts.
However, our thoughts can be our best friends if we let them be. I love getting lost in a daydream. The characters from books come alive as I craft a story for them. The things your brain can come up with are amazing. As Dumbledore said in Harry Potter, “Of course, it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?’” I will spend my entire life with myself, so I might as well enjoy my time by cracking jokes and entertaining myself with made-up stories. It may sound crazy, but I like to say creative.
Sitting/walking in silence is also a great way to process things. By acknowledging my anxieties, I give them less power. I can fight them off with logic. I find that it is best to do this in my head and be silent because if I try to talk them out with a supportive friend, I tend to spiral and get hung up on them, unable to stop talking or thinking about the issue. But silently reflecting on the problem tends to reduce my time agonizing over it. Our thoughts are powerful, so I like to ensure that I am controlling my thoughts and not letting them control me by sitting in them for a while.
I’ve noticed that constantly filling my head with music is also contrary to what is good for me. For example, the walks I don’t have my headphones on are peaceful. I get to hear the birds and soak in the nature that is all around me. To protect my peace, I need to prioritize the peaceful.
Meditating is another way to have a moment of silence. While meditation isn’t about reflection, you get to slow down, take a deep breath and be present in your body. It is a great way to find relaxation in our busy world.
Taking a moment and reflecting in silence is a learned skill though. In the modern age of technology, we have to really practice being comfortable in our own mind. This skill is so important, so I ask, shouldn’t we allow students to practice mindfulness every day? Isn’t that essentially what HSB 31 is doing?
