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Lizzie Hudson's avatar

How exquisite, also a word that is “quiet” to me. Our aural senses are numbed, and what a history dive this would be, tracing back the encroach of human activity into most of our waking hours. When I take my evening strolls, I am surrounded by trees and soggy ground where frogs purr and owls occasionally message the night. But lately, I am more attuned to the steady whoosh of vehicles from the highway a mile away. It never, ever stops. And only now I am so strangely attuned to it.

Thank you for putting all the words into this universal experience.

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Mary Dansak's avatar

There's a frightening section in the chapter on "hearing" in the book An Immense World by Ed Yong. I'm plagued by the noisy place the ocean has become due to SONAR and freight liners. Ugh!!!!

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greengirlinenc's avatar

I love quiet. Find a nice house outside town... and then 20 years later there is a flight pattern to the airport over your house, kids compete for the noisiest cars, and some of their music makes everything in the house vibrate! But! My son taught me: there is a way to turn off the speaker at the gas station. I think you press the 2nd button from the top on the buttons on the right side. Also, you might like Martha Beck's essay, Finding Silence in a Storm. I enjoyed reading this!

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Mary Dansak's avatar

What? A magic mute button?? Thank you! And I'll look for the essay.

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Gary Spangler's avatar

Just dandy, Mary Dansak! One might believe those who are very hard of hearing (🙋🏽‍♂️) aren’t phased by loud venues. Speaking for myself, loud places & loud music are nearly intolerable! Like a cochlear implant? Reading bone vibrations? Watching movies at home with my wife, Beth, she’s part of the loud crowd while I prefer super quiet. Almost having to strain to hear. The ability to tweak my hearing aids, and subtitles, are my non-vibrating assistants. Love ‘em! All the best, Mary Dansak, through what could prove to be a bit louder than normal week end. There’s a resistance rally at the Florida Capitol on Saturday. Oops! We’ll be in DeFuniak Springs celebrating Fathers’ Day with Beth’s 90 yo dad. The almost magically circular lake in the old part of town, ringed with Live Oak trees, might become a gathering spot for resisters. And “the other ones.”

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Mary Dansak's avatar

Sounds like a great spot, Gary!

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Janisse Ray's avatar

Bravo!

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Ray Zimmerman's avatar

As a hearing impaired person I have noticed that background noise gets louder each year and makes conversation impossible.

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