Silence is Golden

Isn’t it? Shouldn’t everyone spend some time looking inwards, observing the world without making their many opinions about it known to all and sundry? Ms. T. has been silent for a while now, far too long really considering her judgmental nature. Do you know what happens to unexpressed opinions (particularly negative ones)? They don’t go away, you know. They stay right where they are, sucking the life out of your good times. The problem is, where to start after months of silence? Should I start by exploring my observations of uncertainty in the workplace? I could, but that would go on too long right now and I’d rather repress those fears a little longer. Should I talk about overeating and the holidays? Again, no. What's done is done. Where to begin when I’ve gone so long without saying anything at all?

This conundrum leaves me two choices: 1) Wait until something really funny/brilliant/poignant happens and then write about that; 2) Just write about anything and hope I’ll remember how to notice the funny/brilliant/poignant things again when they happen.

In the end, I’ve had to opt for option 2 because in the 6-8 months since I’ve posted regularly, many, many things have happened. Some funny, a few brilliant and at least as many poignant. Did I write about them? NO! Why not? Who knows? Better not to ask why. Better just to read this list and see what you might have heard about had Ms. T been in better writing form:

1) A weeklong business trip to Los Angeles fraught with theft, intrigue, chaos and, happily, also success. Good times, bad times, Ms T gets her share. Trials and tribulations include a crappy hotel room, technical difficulties, aggressive nerds and pushy geeks. Highlights include booze and landing back home in Toronto.
2) Three dashing women with alcoholic tendencies head to the Niagara Peninsula for a wine-tasting tour and manage not to get kicked out of any wineries. Much eating, drinking, antiquing and merriment ensue. In their travels, they notice a sign for “Balls Falls” which Ms. T decides is a retirement home for men only. They don’t visit.
3) Big company buys small company. Who stays, who goes? Enquiring minds want to know. But they don’t. They wait. Wait with Ms. T.
4) Intermittent gym participation and weight watching lead to few fluctuations in weight, to Ms. T’s great consternation. Ms. T consoles herself with the knowledge that if Oprah can’t do it with a personal trainer and chef, really, who can?
5) A weeklong business trip to Europe where Ms. T learns the limits of her organizational skills. Things go well, things go badly, but at the end of the day things go, and that’s what counts. Mr. T helps out and frequently saves the day earning him not much beyond the continued love and admiration of Ms. T (which, as he points out, he had anyway).

6) A new toy in the form of a fancy new computer enters the home of Mr. and Ms T. Gigs upon gigs lie at their disposal. Processors and monitors and graphics cards, oh my! They love it. They also fight for control of the mouse. It turns out playing at the computer isn’t really a group activity. The Ts resolve this by taking turns controlling the keyboard and saying “what are you doing now?” It's a tentative peace but, for now, it works.