The Sound Of Silence

Today was my first working visit to the Writers’ Room.  The whole idea is of course to focus on writing, so there are strict rules about maintaining silence; for example, no thumbing through pages or folding a newspaper.  It’s just that quiet.  And of course, since I’m me, the more I try to remain silent, the more noise I end up making.

So first thing, I have to adjust my chair in order to get my knees under the desk.  I tried ever so quietly to pull the lever and push the chair and of course that ends up making a ton of noise.  I decide not to apologize, because that can be more annoying than the noise itself, right?

Next I have to pull my phone out because I forgot to put it on vibrate; so I unzip my purse and rifle through it for my phone, take the phone out of the case, put it back in the case and back in my purse where of course it hits my key ring and makes more noise.

I’m finally done with my purse but now I have to unpack my laptop.  More zippers, dropping cords on to my purse which makes my keys jingle again.  And right as I turn it on I remember the whole Windows start-up sound that I never turned off.

OK, rough start, but now I can really get down to business.  Almost.  I do want to connect to the internet so I can keep an eye on my email, but for the life of me I can’t remember the password for the free wireless.  So I have to pull out my phone (all the same noise as before), search for the email that has the password and discover that the email is long gone.  I remember that I forwarded the email to Dan to print, so I send him an email and ask him to forward me the other email.

But now, I am really really ready to write.  My hands are hovering over the keyboard trying to at least come up with something witty to post on the blog today.  I should be deep in thought by now, but I am drawing a blank.  I look around and everyone else is typing furiously.  I daydream about the important work they must be doing while I sit here twiddling my thumbs.  I get a teensy bit depressed.

Just then I get the instruction email from Dan and it’s telling me to check the back of the door for the wireless information.  Of course the chair squeaks loudly when I push it back to get up, and then I manage to get the toe of my shoe caught in the carpet and make a little yelping sound as I grab on to something so I don’t fall.  No idea how I pulled it off, but I did not go down.

Good grief, I hope I am not kicked out of the room.  But OK, I’m all set now and I start to slog through emails.  The next time I look up, it’s time for me to go because I have another appointment downtown.  It dawns on me that now I have to pack up my laptop again and get my coat and purse.  More noise.

I finally get myself and my belongings out of the room without further ado; but of course there has been plenty ado already.  And the only “writing” I did was responding to emails.

It could be my imagination, but was that a cheer I heard after I left the room?  I’ll be back there on Friday, and I am praying they don’t change the lock to keep me out.