Noise

Where does it come from, all the tones & decibels, the just barely more than silent electrical hum of the clock, refrigerator, humidifier of our home that drones on endlessly? 

We try to ignore the barely-there annoyance of the dripping faucet, the distant TV, the working people’s forklift backing-up that is creating unpleasant sounds.

We enter the gas station, grocery store or Walmart’s and the background continually verbalizes advertisements, the various barkers extolling the virtues of their products.

As we take a walk outdoors, the distant highway emits a steady roar; the overhead planes release a barely noticed engine whine. The birds, squirrels, bees and flies are only heard when we stop and listen for them.

Those are the quiet days.

We visit a classroom, a family home, a library and we hear clicks, booms and raps from electrical boxes. We hear punches thrown, tires screeching and shots fired. We turn on the TV and there’s more where that came from.

But noise, loud noise, so loud I can’t hear myself think over, that is the noise in my head: sometimes resentments, warnings, criticisms of them or me or hopefully the more alluring promises, hopes and desires. That’s the real noise, the sound of my own internal chatter.

Can you hear it?