My brother, Scriptor Senex aka CJ talked last Thursday about noise: his favourites and his least favourites and he invited people to name theirs. Which a number of people did.
I commented that amongst my favourites are the loud and clear songs of the
Bellbird and the Tui outside The Cottage and rain on the roof or windows
when I am snug in bed. One of my dislikes is the adverts on TV
(particularly in NZ) when the sound is ramped up so much over the set
level for the programme. (This is denied but I don't believe the denials!).
The more I've thought about sounds since then the more I have realised that most of the sounds I really love are either sounds of nature or sounds of music. I think that most of us dislike the man-made sounds that intrude into our lives but there are also some natural sounds which frighten or even terrify us. Having lived through a hurricane which destroyed part of my house on Lewis I can say that it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life. How the people of Tornado Alley in the US including at least one follower of this blog (I hope you are OK Cynthia - I've just seen more Oklahoma tornados on TV). So the sounds of hurricane force winds would be amongst my least favourite sounds of nature. As is the sound of an earthquake - and I've only experienced the noise resulting from a relatively small one.
What I really love, though, is that I live in environments with few neighbours and only the noise of the countryside to listen to (other than, of course, my music which I can play without disturbing anyone).
What I really love, though, is that I live in environments with few neighbours and only the noise of the countryside to listen to (other than, of course, my music which I can play without disturbing anyone).
So today I am thankful for the fact that I have the gift of hearing but that I also have the option of silence in the places where I live.
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Real, total silence is quite an uncommon these days in England. We're tremendously lucky in London in that the back of our house seems to be particularly silent with only the birds and a very distant rumble of traffic. Until someone in a nearby building starts to play music I don't like, that is.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely noise is one of the downsides of city life.
I rather like the sound of rain when i am snug inside, but don't even like to think about what an earthquake sounds like.
You seem to be very lucky for a city dweller and, presumably, have thick walls or quiet neighbours.
DeleteOne of the noises raised by commenters on my blog which I hadn't included was leaf blowers - I have to confess that having been reminded of them I would put them top of the list! Oh, for silence!
ReplyDeleteThat's one noise you are never likely to hear in either Eagleton or where I live in NZ.
DeleteI absolutely agree. Nature sounds, silence, and music. AND, after working for 10 years in the cable industry...you are not wrong. I believe it can be corrected in the headend, which controls those levels. :)
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite is game shows on TV. The worst.
I think about Cynthia often, also remember Jen in Fort Worth, TX, as well as Dan in Indiana.
I still follow Cynthia. Oddly enough I got an email automatically generated by Jen's blog a little while ago. A couple of days ago I decided to see what she was up to but the Wordpress blog was password protected. I never followed Dan.
DeleteI just love the sound of children's laughter. Lucky to have the memory of last weekend.
ReplyDeleteI agree that is a lovely sound.
DeleteMy least fave noise is definitely that of leaf blowers, no question. Those things are the work of the devil and should be banned. In second place, I'd put T.V. ads(Mac and I have taken to pushing the mute button when they come on). Water falling, church bells, windchimes and bird song are my favorites, along with the wind in the leaves.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be in good company so far as leaf blowers are concerned. It is one noise I am never likely to hear in either Eagleton or where I live in NZ. I agree about the sound of water tumbling over the bed of a stream or the rolling waves landing on the beach. I'd forgotten about church bells (I used to be e bell-ringer for a short while) and I can't remember when I last heard them.
DeleteLooks like quite a few of us (including myself) have leaf blowers on the top of their lists of noises that we hate. I wonder, then, why it is that they are so popular, and no government regulation has come out yet to stop them, while at the same time there are regulations from the strict to the ridiculous about every little detail of daily life.
ReplyDeleteLeaf blowers are high on a lot of lists. It is one noise I am never likely to hear in either Eagleton or where I live in NZ.
DeleteI'm sure most of us do prefer un-threatening sounds of nature and music of our own choice. Although I can't always choose my sounds (living in town), I'm still thankful to be living in a relatively quiet neighbourhood (aside from heavy traffic for one thing). As I wouldn't like to live in a too isolated spot either some compromise of acceptance is needed...
ReplyDeleteCompromise is so often the name of the game.
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