What Do You Know for Sure?

John Francis, on Silence

After witnessing an oil spill in San Francisco Bay in 1971, Francis (above, on one of his many walks) thought about how one person can make a difference. His talks with neighbors about his decision to stop using motorized vehicles often turned into arguments. "I decided to give my town a gift of my silence, to not speak for one day," he says. "I started learning things—the first was that I hadn't been listening." He chose to be silent for a year—and then 16 more. In 1982 Francis founded Planetwalk to raise awareness of environmental issues.

When I didn't speak, it allowed a more intimate communication. People let me touch them. I could tap them on the shoulder. I could grab their hand and write a word on their palm. I could physically move them to see something.

Silence is a practice. You don't just think, "Oh, I got it now."

You don't need words to say "I love you." My family and I communicated all the things we needed to when I was silent. 

— As told to Jack Otter