Silence the Static

Nonfiction Piece by Hope Lang

Silence the static.

Be present.

Scrolling through the crowded online community of Instagram, I repeated these words in my head. For what a shame it was to waste a day - a day of life, beautiful snow falling outside my window, friends with brilliant smiles awaiting me that I would never see due to this addiction that had wormed its way into my brain. Because, in truth, I wanted to live, but it had been so long I’d forgotten how.

People around the world, from college students like myself to adults working full-time with two grown children, face this reality. In an age of technology, of unreal images and news presented to us through excessive screens, it can be hard to stay grounded in the very real imagery surrounding us. I wish I could count the times I have chosen a screen over the picturesque landscape visible from the window of my parents’ farmhouse, too often seen only from the window while washing the dishes and blaring music. Silence the static. Listen to the birds, the running water, the barking of the dogs at the passing mailman.

Listen to your body: it tells you to take a walk, take in the sunshine, take a breath. Take a break from social media - your strained eyes know you need it, just like your tired ears know you need a break from the music, the voices on the television, the neverending noise filtered through the same screens that poison our eyes. They poison you with pictures and words depicting the “perfect” life, the one you’ll never achieve. But is that even what you want, or is it just what you’ve been conditioned to think you want? Perhaps the true beauty comes in the imperfection, the scars on your body marking where you’ve been, what you’ve been through, who you’ve loved, the ensuing heartbreak following.

There are scars on all of the people who post - invisible scars they fear showing just as much as you do, you who fear vulnerability. Who would want to expose their lives to the outside world? The outside world - if you search for something real, something vulnerable, behold the great outdoors! Land with blemishes, much like your imperfect skin, is what we so often refer to as beautiful, refreshing nature, in which being immersed heals your soul. So why must you harm your own heart upon looking in the mirror at a beautiful masterpiece, capable of growing and healing and loving others?

Love others. It is hard to do when constantly absorbed in media that tells us our world is inadequate, that constantly tells us to break up with that boy instead of working toward healthy communication in the relationship, that we should expect a new vase of flowers as soon as the old ones wilt. Our lives are wilting slowly, and we’re letting them, addicted to the not-so-social media we’ve grown close to instead of the beautiful people and opportunities in our lives.

Silence the static.

Be present in your own life.