Enjoy the Silence

Enjoy the Silence
Steep, deep and silent. What more could you ask for? Whitewater, BC. Photo: Mattias Fredriksson
Words Michael Israelson

Stan is moving slow. Ridiculously slow.

This is not new; accompanied by his blind dog, my neighbor Stan always moves slow.

It’s his mantra. Or his dog’s. Either way, when I see Stan rambling down my rural road, I take a deep breath and steel myself for a conversation with no foreseeable resolve.

Usually, I am happy that I took a few minutes to slow down. Stan is inherently interesting, and often sends me on adventures that begin with the directive to “turn left when you see the old cemetery.”