Quiet

I live in the city. While my neighborhood has trees and narrow front yards along sidewalks, it is densely populated. My neighborhood gave birth to the American triple-decker, the flat-roofed three-unit wooden houses which became identified in an earlier time with immigrants and now is more likely identified as a pricey condominium building. The first triple-decker, according to the Dorchester Historical Society, still stands down the street.

 

The first four years of my life were spent in an old cold-water flat without central heating at the top of a triple-decker. The iceman was always out of breath when he delivered the huge blocks for our non-electric icebox. Our space heaters and stove were kerosene-powered. Not so far removed from Dickens.

 

Environmental quiet is a precious commodity in the city. Very early mornings have surplus quiet, especially on Sunday. Most evenings, especially summer evenings, are boisterous. Most times of day and night are underscored by car engines, car stereos and aircraft overhead.

 

The urban mind requires special training to attain inner quiet. The nearly relentless stimulation of environment must be coped with in order to reach a meditative state. Regular meditation develops a quiet place, even in the urban mind, where a mindful person can go at will. This breeds patience and calm in the face of stress, which is never hard to come by in the urban setting. Meditation is simply a healthy daily practice which supports all other aspects of healthy living.