Today I was reminded about how much peripheral noise we put up with in our lives. I work in an old converted church building that has a large air-conditioning unit. It goes on about 8.00am and goes off about 5.30pm, so unless you are there early or late, it is a constant presence and one that is taken for granted. We have been having some problems with it lately (which is not good in high 30's and low 40's Celsius temperatures!). Today it was being worked on and was turned off during the day. It was only when it was off that you realise the level of noise it creates. There was a stillness, even in an office full of workers, when the unit was off.
What else are our senses bombarded with daily that we assimilate into our lives on a sub-conscious level?
3 comments:
Hi Campbell,
Have you ever really listened to the background noises in your personal dwelling; the refrigerator going off and on, clocks ticking away, the usual creaks and cracks that walking around create, cars driving by outside, etc? Like the air conditioner where you work, these sounds probably don’t stand out until there’s a dramatic change.
Do you think we really notice all the airplanes that fly overhead or smell the obnoxious gasoline fumes from the cars we encounter unless they become disgustingly objectionable? We’re constantly bombarded with stimuli that we’ve come to accept as “normal”. What I wonder is how most of us would cope with total peace and quiet ala “Walden Pond” by Henry David Thoreau.
Hi Campbell,
Myriad images (and noises) in advertising come to mind as something we're bombarded with on a daily basis - billboards, TV, radio, print media etc etc
I love to get away from it all and just switch off whenever I can
btw, Happy New Year!
I grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in the mallee of Vic and as a young adult, could not wait to escape to the city for some noise and activity - the country was far too quiet. Nowadays, I cannot wait to get back to the farm for the peace and tranquility I experience there. The serenity I feel when lying outside on a summers night, looking up at the brightness of the stars, with only the occasional chirp of the cricket (or whine of the mozzie!) reminds me how much I need time out just to be still and re-connect with myself and with nature.
(although it doesn't take much for my stress levels to rise again once I am back in the city and the hustle and bustle of everyday life:)
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