When the house is quiet, I hear sounds that I don’t recognize and cannot place. There are clicks and whirrs from appliances, creaks from wood expanding and contracting, and various other sounds that bother me. It is disconcerting when the fridge sounds as though water is dripping, even though I know it is not dripping on the floor. Probably.
When it rains at night, I can’t immediately identify the sound or where it is coming from. I wake up and think I hear tapping, then I think there is a leak coming in, and finally I realize it is just rain on the window.
Occasionally I hear the sounds being made by city workers who are fixing the sewers in a nearby street. Mostly they are not bothersome, but sometimes I hear a loud metallic clang which startles me. I think it is nearer than it actually is, and maybe someone has closed our metal gate. But no, it’s just city work down the road.
All this got me thinking about the Buffalo Springfield song by Stephen Stills that goes, “Stop, children. What’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down.” The song is not about the kinds of sounds I’m hearing, though. It’s about war and protest.
Lately, the sounds of wars and protests are filling the television news. There are the sounds of people marching, people heckling, people chanting. There are the sounds of terrorists blowing up tourists, of forest fires, of traffic accidents.The TV news makes me fearful; I should stop watching it. It’s like the sounds in my house that I hear but can’t identify, or the sounds that I can identify but can’t do anything about.
The sounds of social unrest are important, and I care. Really, I do, but I can’t affect them. So my caring is like the alarm I feel at the occasional metal clang I hear from city workers. First I have to find out what caused it, then decide if I need to take any action. The only things I can do about the clanging cymbals on the news are to learn more, express my views occasionally, and vote. That all seems so inadequate, though.
I vote for the politicos who I think, or hope, are most likely to do some good, but it’s always a long shot. So, I’m left feeling concerned but powerless when I focus on those noises. Fortunately, there are other things to focus on.
Sometimes, the noises I hear are of the family upstairs when they come home, with doors opening and closing. I hear footsteps crossing the floor, and I can tell who it is from their pace. I hear music being played, and although I can’t hear the words I get the feel of the music from the bass notes and the rhythms. Sometimes I get jiggy with it. And there is laughter. Lots of laughter. Those are the sounds I like to hear and I don’t need to do anything about them. They are all good.
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Image source here
Snowbird of Paradise 
Stopped watching Television, other than the soccer and the occasional film for this very reason, and I only read the TV guide oin the Saturday newspaper because it has the Crossword, Gardening and Motoring sections.
I initially thought it would make me like the Ostrich – sticking my head in the sand – but it actually did the opposite. I found myself only ‘tuning in’ to good news, or at least news that wasn’t all bad. I have a blog pal, John Zande in Brazil, ask me what I thought about the Oscar Pistorius trial. I had no idea as I had only picked up scant bits of info here and there. It was he that told me about the outcome!
As you point out, there’s precious little you can do about much of the nonsense so rather focus on happier things.
A day without laughter is a wasted day. That’s a quote from someone I am sure!
It is a beautiful day down here in Johannesburg. Time to feed the Koi, top up the bird feeder and organize ‘elevenses’. 🙂
On a Buffalo Springfield note:
Was never a great fan but do one one cut of Steve Stills – Old Times Good Times – and only because Jimi Hendrix played guitar on it! ( you can find it on YouTube I’m sure.)
Have super Sunday
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Ark. Tuning in to good news sounds like a good plan. As is feeding the koi and topping up the bird feeder. I hope your day is as delightful as it sounds.
So far so good. Now, if only Everton can beat Manchester City! 😉
I believe it’s the media’s job to keep us somewhat addicted to fear and tuning in for more of it. If they showed the news in perspective…no one would watch. If just about everyday they said millions of children went to school and were safe today, and all the panes took off and landed safely, and hundreds of athletes have funds that help charities and their communities etc, as humans we’d become board with it. The news has it backwards they have the 2 minute feel good story at the end and the rest of the time spent on disasters. Those sounds of laughter that are so pleasing…those are the sounds to focus on… joy and laughter. That other stuff, gets in our hearts and in our heads and that doesn’t help the anyone, but it does affect our own well being. And it’s my philosophy that I can’t be broke enough to make someone else wealthy, I can’t be sad enough to make someone else happy and I can’t be fearful enough to make someone else safe. So, I, Like Arkenantan, avoid watching the news, or as I call it the “bad news”. I do try to catch the last ten minutes with sports, weather and that 2-minute feel good story though!
I like your philosophy, Sally. “I can’t be fearful enough to make someone else safe.” I should put that somewhere I can see it every day.