V – VOICES OF AGING

Rumi

        Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’.

      Mary Anne Radmacher

 Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune.

                                                            C.G. Jung

 Do we find a different voice as we age? I suspect so. From the first breath we take, we hear our own crying voice. Throughout our lives we’ve used our voice to express what we’ve wanted to say, even haltingly and fearfully. Though perhaps we’ve been silent on some issues for fear of reprisal.

We’ve learned much from the voices of sages and writers who speak their truth. The voice of artists whose expression is through music, painting, writing speaks to us. The sea sounds with its crashing waves. The wind sighs, its voice heard through the rustle of leaves. Bird song is lovely; sometimes lively and sometimes it sounds like a lament.

 Finding our own voice as we age presents a challenge. Not only for it to be heard in the outer world, but in the inner world in particular.

 What dialogue can we have with this inner voice? Does it lead to more questioning of its veracity? If we are non-judgmental about our voice within and really listen to it we may be surprised to hear its differing cadences. Perhaps another voice keeps on invading even as we try to drown it. Noise and chatter trying to quieten us. Who and what are these other voices that are trying gain attention and be heard? They sound strange and unfamiliar. We wonder whether we should pay attention to them … will they work for me or against if I act on them? Is this my voice of conscience that speaks to me? Is this my soul who speaks?

 We can give voice to our unique style, give it expression in whatever way.

 Can we voice our opposition to what is intolerable now that we are older? Even if the price is high? Can we know what we like and don’t like and have the courage to voice them? We can say no to violence in whatever way it presents.

 The veil is always there, with ourselves on the other side. It be a victory to pierce it to see what lies behind it. There are more valleys that need to be explored as we age. We would have to be vigilant about our attempt to go beyond our boundaries. We have the vitality as we age. Would we find a vale in which all our sadnesses and sorrows could be washed clean as we emerge from newly found insights about ourselves and our place in the world? A new image of ourselves –

Voting takes place here in South Africa in less than two weeks …

Do you listen to your own voice?

‘There is a voice that doesn’t use words – listen!’ Rumi

27 Comments on V – Voices of Aging

  1. Hi Susan – i read quite a few of your posts yesterday after seeing Damyanti’s recommendation. Your work is so thought-provoking and on-target for a 63-year-old like me. I thank you for visiting and the “follow”.

    While I am a deep thinker and have strong opinions on many political and social topics, I prefer not to write about them because my life has plenty of that interaction the rest of the time. My blog is for me to explore and express my creative side – memories, musings, observations and new (to me) art.
    I will thoroughly enjoy engaging on your blog on more serious topics. I hope you will view mine as mostly lighter moments, but I hope I can still inspire and entertain you. It’s a tad daunting for Damyanti to have praised me in the company of so many stellar writers !

    • Thank you so much Sammy! I must get back to Damyanti’s posts and thank her heartily for her kindness in her recommendation. I look forward to reading yours as soon as ..
      Have you put up your Reflections post? I must still do this ..

  2. I do speak out — didn’t when I was younger so much — do now, because as I age, what have I got to lose, I think. I speak out and act if I can against inhumanity, inequity. Among the many conversations my inner voice incessantly rambles on about, is the one where I’m pointing out to myself that I am unworthy. I’m trying to become more aware of this one, to catch it, and ultimately cease it altogether. It’s a subtle one, though. When I catch it, I correct it with the positive.

    And, yes, I do go to the polls and vote; otherwise, I have no cause to complain.

    • Dear Samantha;
      Negative inner voices do not speak the truth. A dialogue with those voices may help discover what ever they are doing there.
      Thank you,
      Susan

      • I like this, Susan, “Negative inner voices do not speak the truth.” Good to remember. I do write periodic dialogs in my journal, starting about 15 years ago by Julia Cameron’s exercise in “The Artist’s Way.” Time to do another one. Thank you. And, let’s hope my dialog doesn’t go something like, “You idiot. You know better.” 🙂

  3. Hi Susan .. I definitely have noted that I’m not so opinionated – I still feel that way, but try not to voice it! I believe one of the expressions is think before you speak … and I try and look at the other side of the coin – because that’s the way others will see ‘it’ … I probably need to temper my voice more as I get older .. and become wiser – it that’s remotely possible. To help with that I really need to come back and read all your posts … properly … will do anon – cheers Hilary

    PS – your elections, we have elections re the European Parliament … let alone the Ukrainian elections … we need some strong moderating voices – who can stand up for the world … and its peoples ..

    All the best – Hilary

    • Dear Hilary;
      Sometimes the clear voice without understanding both sides helps in doing just that. The opposites are created and from that something else emerges.
      Thank you,
      Susan

  4. Excellent post and comments. Learning to trust our own voice and have faith in it is also an essential ingredient. Sometimes other voices over power our own and it can take a lifetime to quiet the other voices so that we can be heard.

  5. I think I voice my opposition now more than ever, and I suspect that will become even more so as the years go by. It’s good to speak up, to have the silence of youth gone. Maybe not the youth, but the quiet of it. 🙂
    I hope the voting there yields good results, Susan. Best of luck!

  6. That voice within allows you to face your own face, your fears, your regrets, your faults, your vices, your virtues, your inner self with understanding, tears, and laughter. That chatterbox mind needs to be quiet and take a back seat while the voice is speaking. I am getting better at telling that mind to go sit in the corner for a while.

  7. Wonderful post. As I get older, I readily recognize that my voice is changing and I think a large part of that is due to gained life experience where I’ve learned first hand what is true at least for me, and the separation of my own voice and beliefs from those I was told I should have. I expect my voice to continue to change in the coming years. To what? I don’t know yet, but I can tell you it will only be getting louder!

  9. Hi,

    It is my honest opinion that many do not listen to their own voice because they are afraid to discover it. They are afraid of what they might hear and don’t know if they can carry that responsibility, because finding your voice and listening to it pulls you away from crowd thinking and moves you towards being who you really are.

    Shalom,
    Patricia

  10. Ha, we are in sync again… Do I speak my truth more with age? I think I am better at deciding if it’s a reaction or truth and whether I have to say it aloud or whether it’s sufficient to be aware myself…

  11. Beautiful post. Finding our voice and using it truthfully and authentically when we need to. Not about being loud and extrovert, but confident and meaningful in what we say. Listening to our own voice – believing it. It’s usually speaking a truth 🙂

  12. I hadn’t thought of “voice” in this context, only as a writer and being able to find it so that words would seem natural on the page. Your post has taken this further. Thank you, there’s lots to think about here and the Rumi quote has always been a favourite! 🙂

  13. ‘is this my soul who speaks ?’
    thank you for illuminating these aspects of agng so clearly and for inspiring much reflection.
    Sandra

  14. Another great post, I enjoy working on listening to my inner voice, it’s hard to still the constant chatter that shouts louder in my head.

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