As most of you will know, being silent isn't something that comes naturally to me - I wear my heart on my sleeve, I share my feelings with friends, and I'm a true believer in the saying "a problem shared is a problem halved." I'm the definition of a chatterbox, but take it to heart when people comment on the fact that I talk too much, even though I know that this is probably true. I usually just laugh it off and let it go, but as these comments started to pile up, and the finger was continually pointed at me when the noise level in the office rose, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to put myself forward for a Sponsored Silence, to prove that I could do it and therefore raise a bit of money for some great charities.
Of course I was met with some skepticism, and many pledged an amount 'per hour', adamant that I wouldn't make it past 9.30am. But when the day came, I was a woman on a mission, and as I realised that I would potentially have raised over £300 from everyone that had faith in me, I was more determined than ever to succeed.
I spoke to Joe on the phone all the way to work, in the hopes of getting the chatter out of my system. When I walked into work at 8.50, notecards in hand, I decided it was best to keep silent from that moment, and jot down any thoughts when I had the urge to communicate with someone. So here were my thoughts as the day progressed;
08.55 – Got to work and decided to just get on with it.
09.03 – Already had to use my first scribbled notes – think I’m going to waste a lot of paper today…
09.16 – Conscious of the fact that I’m basically talking to myself in my head. Does this mean I’m crazy?
09.45 – Communicating is tough – I feel ridiculous. I was never good at charades.
09.55 – 1 hour down, 7 to go. That actually went quicker than imagined, although I’m already struggling.
10.08 – Left my desk for a toilet break and avoided talking to anyone. Robyn 1, Silence nil.
10.22 – Our MD just came over and sponsored me; I felt so rude flashing my ‘thank you’ card at him and not speaking! Hoping my rudeness is cancelled out by my charitable silence…
10.31 – My shins hurt from running for the train yesterday. This is something that I would normally say, but nobody actually cares about. Note to self – stop telling people pointless things that they don’t want to know.
11.03 – 2 hours done. Is it sad that I’m proud…?
11.24 – I feel like a smoker who’s trying to give up; I’m eating to compensate for the lack of talking. I’m not even hungry…
11.41 – Emily has been great at continuing to communicate with me and put up with my bad notes and sign language, I’m thinking she might feel my pain.
12.26 – Boys in claims are trying to make me talk – I feel ridiculous not saying anything. I have no idea how I would cope if this were a lifestyle choice. Does anybody choose to be silent? Surely not!
13.10 – Thank goodness for self-service checkouts at Tesco!
13.28 – Lunchtime is boring without talking, I’m just grateful for this extra cheesy pasta.
14.24 – How long until I can have a glass of wine?
15.02 – 2 HOURS LEFT. Might work ‘til 4, even though everyone is finishing earlier and going down to the bar. I don’t know if I can be sociable and quiet.
15.05 - Ok maybe half 3, I can drink wine quietly right?
15.17 – it’s really hard now. I want to go to All Bar One, drink wine, and TALK!
15.19 – Or cocktails, cocktails would be great too.
15.21 – Just as a side note, I’m not an alcoholic.
15.45 - large rosé in hand, 15 minutes to go!
16.00 - brb, got some talking to catch up on!
And the rest is history! I'm very proud that I managed to be totally silent for a whole 7 hours, and raised a total (so far) of £400! Thank you to everyone that sponsored me and donated to the brilliant charities that I have been supporting - Great Ormond Street Hospital, Alezheimer's Society, and Cancer Research. We will be continuing our fundraising at GB for the rest of the year - I will keep you posted with how we get on.
http://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/gblondon
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