A quiet moment in the hammock
Yesterday, as I was waiting to pick up my children from school outside their classroom, I began to think about sound. How much of it can we tolerate on a regular basis before it becomes too much? This was not just a calm reflection that fluttered into my thoughts and then out again like a meek white dove. Rather, it was a rude gargoyle that stared intently at me as the pupils in the neighboring classroom streamed out of the door, several of them screaming at the top of their lungs. The sound pitch was not just a momentary shout for joy at the end of the school day, rather it was a shrill sound that was unbelievably sustained like the sound of an Iron Maiden concert listened to without ear plugs. The teacher, who stood in the doorway, seemed unperturbed by all of the screeching and glanced at me with a peaceful smile that indicated everything was as it should be.
As I was driving the children home, I asked them what they thought about the noise. “You should hear what it is like in the cafeteria at lunch time,” they sighed, indicating that my recent experience was kindergarten compared to what they had been through during the day. I began to wonder whether our ten years of living on a remote island had left us ill-equipped for the decibel levels of modern society. I remembered the sweet silence which was like a balm on the temples. Just the thought of it calmed my pulsating forehead.
The string of health research coming in from my favorite Swedish health site, Netdoktor.se, verified that I am not alone in thinking about the noise. The research looks at the effects of MP3 players and traffic on our hearing. Overall findings show that increasing numbers of us are admitting that we cannot hear properly well before the grey hairs start to show. Our hearing sustains damage at 90 decibels, a level well below the 120 decibels produced when an aircraft takes off. The decibel levels we were up at outside the classroom door made takeoff seem like a mild yawn.
What do we do about the noise? We have got to the point where even in Sweden, with its modest cities and vast tracts of wilderness, people are in danger of going deaf early. All over the world, the machinery of life (the food processor, the vacuum cleaner, and the car) may have ‘educated’ humans to tolerate increasing decibels for modernity’s sake. Now it is time for us to assume control based on our human needs. Just as there are innovative programs to awaken the sensory perception of children to the flavor and texture of good, fresh food (as opposed to the dangerous over-processed rubbish we have been led to believe is food), we need innovative action to reintroduce an appreciation of sound that entices us to listen rather than lose our hearing.
The sound of silence is beautiful. It is just that most youngsters today will never have the chance to recognize it because they have never experienced it.
Oh I so agree with you about the silence there never seems to be anymore places to go to enjoy the peace and quiet unless you hike to the mountains.
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It is serious problem of our time. I’m thirty-nine, but I’ve never been in a place where I couldn’t hear a sound of human’s presence. I think it is a high time to create reservations of silence. Natural silence is a same value as a clean water and air. In my opinion it must be educated as a cultural norm.
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Thanks for visiting Viktor and Monica. Viktor, I cannot agree with you more. We need to integrate silence into education as a cultural norm. Any ideas about how to do this are very welcome!
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It is too bad that the Swedish government could not find some land outside city limits and create a natural quiet park where people can hike, bird watch and just breathe. A quiet hour is so invigorating it really is good for ones health.
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Ancient Babylon, Athens, Rome, all human history is full of city noises.
The fetus hear the heartbeat, sound of flowing blood, the voice of his mother…All this noises means life.
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You must excuse my poor english, I can t concentrate myself, my kids are making a lot of noise now…
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I was enjoying a walk in the hills of Jamtland recently, near Storlien. Stopped for a while and wondered what the funny noise was – and realised it was my breathing. Sounded so loud but only because everything else was so still and quiet. Just stood and ejoyed the silence of a cold but clear day for maybe 10 minutes and felt so much better. Until someone started up their snomobile…
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I think Alex’s comments summarize the contradictions and issues that face us when it comes to sound in our lives. Worcesterman, I share your thoughts completely when it comes to snow scooters. My feeling is that the only place where they should be used is in emergency winter situations where there is no other more efficient way of saving someone or for reindeer herding during cold months. Unfortunately, Swedish law is much more lax about how snow mobiles are used than Norway is which is why Norwegians like to come over to our side to ride snow scooters.
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