The Sense of Sound

I tend to seek out quiet, silent places these days.  Soft conversations with friends, music in my studio background, and the natural sounds that accompany me while walking up and down the hill each day.

Sound can be beautiful.   The sound of music, the sound of your child's first spoken words, the whispers when awed by something wonderful.

Sadly we have created a very NOISY (I'm yelling that you see) world.  People shout, they don't talk.  Strident voices report the hellish news each day.  Horns honk, radios blare.  There are motors and engines and loud noises everywhere.

We have all these holidays each year celebrating this person or that person- which in turn creates more noise because there are 'special' sales on that day or noisy fireworks or parades.  I wish we could have one day - 24 hours  - of silence.  It would never be fully silent for nature makes its own sounds.  From the bird call to the rustling under the leaves. Perhaps we could even hear the tinkle of a small stream.

But the stars would come out in silence, the sun would rise in silence and our lives could be pursued with only the natural noises that speak to the essence of our life. 

"Soon silence will have passed into legend.  Man has turned his back on silence.  Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation." - Jean Arp