The Sound of Silence

I spent the day silent for the most part. I listened to both Chris and the kiln, tried not to engage in conversation too much. What I found was my ability to focus was a lot greater than I anticipated, though now, after it all I feel like I took a 200 mile bike ride. Staying that quiet all day was as mentally challenging as one of my longest endurance endeavors. I was left wondering how people manage a vow of silence without driving themselves nuts? John Francis actually enjoyed it because he found for the first time in his life that he was listening intently. I could see that thought having validity. There were nuances to today's conversations, directions, etc. that I would have missed completely if I had been speaking as much as I usually do. I laughed so hard at Joe's banter, mostly because I listened to it. I always knew he had a good sense of humor, but today I actually listened.

My day started with Dan and Steve goofing on me as we transitioned into the new shift and ended with Dan and Steve goofing on me again. In between was this mass of chaos that amounted to holding the kiln at cone 12 for hours before charging it with 16 bags of Cowboy charcoal in these shoots that Steve built, then having to control the burn so that the kiln didn't suffer a quick death. It was one of the most incredible kiln shifts I have ever been a part of. It was so exhausting that it was rejuvenating. Its almost over.