These silent New England granite watchers remind me of so many of us. The two on the right are wise and vigilant but they have no mouths. Instead their spokesperson is the side looking, pleasant, a bit whacky and seemingly a bit dumb being at the far left.

These watchers live on my family’s property in North Conway, New Hampshire. To me, they give hope and an answer on how so many pioneering souls can/have had to/ exist over the past centuries.

Deep deep inside – in the tough survival granite base we all have – we know the truth. The truth that isn’t what the outer world wants us to believe. The truth we need to know, to survive the storms of life.

To stay safe, we vigilantly and silently – watch. With deep-set eyes that see the truth. Yet so silent that moss has grown where our mouths should be.

And we consign our spoken word to conform to that which will keep us safe. We put on a cheerful, whacky, funny face – and we survive.

Most of us are watchers nowadays, longing to speak…hoping our leaders speak…keeping our knowledge to ourselves until…