Sounds, Our Constant Reminder….

A foray to Bass Pro Shops, conveniently located only a few miles from our compound, triggered the beginning of the Holiday Season for me. The store was packed with all manner of folks wrapped in Christmas revelry. Back in February of 2020, I wrote about my hearing decline in a piece entitled “The Silent Disability”. My hearing loss continues to progress, however; technology stays a step ahead. It was the murmur of the crowd, expressions of surprise and the wonder of the outdoors brought inside that triggered today’s writing. I sat back with a cup of coffee and thought about the many sounds that bring or have brought a smile to my face.

In no particular order, these are among the sounds that I have experienced in life that will always give me pause and make me smile.

1. The sound of big rigs on an Interstate. I lived with this wonderful sound of efficiency and progress too many years to not smile when I hear it. This sound represents the power and majesty of America.
2. The sound of a bass boat transom splashing into the lake at first light, signaling the beginning of another day on the water with a friend. Closely behind is the scream of a two stroke outboard spooling up as it lifts the bow of the boat. These sounds signal great expectation.
3. The subtle sounds of nature, including the cry of a barred owl at dusk, the quiet, endless murmur of a riffle, a gentile surf and the subtle sound of a breeze through pine trees.
4. The soft sigh of Tazzy stretching out for a nap at my feet, signaling contentment, trust and devotion.
5. The sound of a congregation singing traditional Christmas Hymns is a reminder of the church before the advent of rock music blasting through the sanctuary.
6. The mesmerizing crackle of a fire place or an open wood stove door. A sound that signals a small win over a relentless Mother Nature as it replaces bone chilling cold with warm wood heat. The tattoo of a gentile rain on a tin roof represents yet another small victory over nature.
7. Conversation is a reminder of the strength of the spoken word. A truck stop waitress at 2 in the morning, pouring a fresh cup of coffee and making conversation reminds me that courtesy never sleeps. The coffee splashing into the cup is most welcome after hours at a freezing wreck scene.
8. Certain voices always catch my tired ears. Who cannot enjoy actor Ving Rhames baritone elucidation about Arby’s sandwiches? Sam Elliot talking about cowboy things is an instant conveyance of country wisdom. Paul Harvey narrating the life of a farmer is heart warming. You just have to believe these guys.
9. The beautiful lilt of a hammered dulcimer in the hands of a master. The drone strings harmonizing perfectly with the tune itself. A sound almost as soothing as the laugh of a small child, conveying innocence and trust.
10. Much has been written about the sounds of a Huey, a sound that is imprinted in the minds of those of us who depended upon them. This sound was most welcome when waiting for an extraction, chilling when coming to take you to the fight.

Finally, after years of living and growing together, the sound of Sharon at bedside asking me how I am doing as I rouse from anesthesia from one of my 12 or so surgeries, is a reminder I am never really alone and am, indeed, alive to fight another day. I am guessing that my readers all have a sound or two that is forever etched in the pleasure center of their minds. Please never take sound for granted. As I age, my ability to hear subtleties is all but gone, so enjoy sound whenever you can. It is a most precious gift from the Master!

Have a great week!

SR