vows of silence

More and more I've been thinking about how wonderful it would be to not have to talk, ever. I know this isn't feasible, not outside a monastery, but it's something I'd like to try. I'd like to speak only when I absolutely had to, like when responding to a direct question (but only if I felt like answering it), or when giving specifically solicited advice (but only if I felt inclined to give it). I'd like to say something only when I had something important to say. I'd like to hoard my words like a miser clutching pennies, only spending them grudgingly when I absolutely had to.

The more sparingly words are used, the more meaning each one has. It's a matter of economics, really.