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Column: Sounds we love
Sounds good to us: Some of life’s noise brings joy
Our world of manmade sounds bombards our minds with noise. Racket floods our brains, prevents growth of new dendrites (brain connections) and creates anxiety and stress. Stop the music. Shut off the television. Unplug the noise gadgets. Tune in your imagination to the sounds of silence.
Wait. What’s that sound? It’s not silence. It’s the subnoises of life; the small, beautiful or funny sounds that fill us with smiles.
Seventy-five friends answered my question: What sound makes you smile?
Animals play a major role. That’s not surprising. We think they’re extended family. Hearing the dog lifts our spirits: snoring; barking at the doorbell or animals on the TV; and giving little snorts when nibbling an itch. They yawn loudly and “awwooo” when waiting for their breakfast to be served.
Cats have a wider variety of sounds: growls when someone arrives, chatters and clicks if something’s threatening or exciting. Contented purring. One cat plays and talks to her toys. Another makes monkey sounds.
Birds lift the corners of our mouths.
A duck in my neighborhood likes to tell jokes then laugh at them. “Quack ... quack ... quack ... quack, quack, quack.” A neighbor calls him “our sarcastic duck.”
A year ago, the owners got him a mate. He quit telling jokes and laughing. Hmmm. Now he’s back to entertaining us again. A friend’s chicken came on the back porch every morning, pecked a chime once and left. That family also had a turkey who developed a taste for cat food. Whenever the patio door was left open, he’d come into the kitchen and help himself, pecking faster and faster at the cat’s ceramic bowl when he heard his human coming, then bursting back out through the door. The cooing of a dove was mentioned several times. The laugh of a dove makes you laugh out loud. A rattly-voiced rock dove in my trees calls out, “strawberry shake.” It always persuades me to go get one when I finish my yardwork.
Other bird smiles are prompted by the flutter of hummingbirds, honking of geese, quacking of ducks, preening of the eagles and hawks and noisy chatter after the bird feeder’s refilled. There’s something satisfying about the clip clop of horse’s hooves. How do they do that? It’s never just clip, clip.
The serenade of crickets and frogs is pleasant to our ears.
Human sounds that bring happiness often fall in the category of babies and young children. A friend who works in the hospital says, “It’s the chimes at the hospital when a baby is born. No matter how chaotic the moment is, it makes me smile.”
Other baby joys are grunts, giggles, jabbers and breathing; hiccups, blowing raspberries, smacking of lips. How can you not smile at a baby?
The pitter patter of young children’s carefree, running feet and their chattering, giggly, little voices in class or the library are infectious.
Not all pleasing sounds are made by living creatures. The popping and cracking of a nice campfire was a favorite mentioned. Also the clicking of boots on cement, the scratching of pencils in a classroom, a ticket being scanned at Disneyland, the furnace kicking on, windchimes and a refrigerator that chuckles. (Really?!)
The wind coming unexpectedly through the treetops, blowing through Venetian blinds or sending the tetherball pole chains clanging on a lonely, quiet, school playground, delight the senses.
The airy sound from a canister of whipped cream, cowbells and the creaking of the floor, announcing someone is coming to bed, bring smiles, too.
A slamming screen door reminds of a visit to Grandma’s; the hiss of a steam iron recalls wonderful times of sewing with mother. These nonliving
sounds connect to experiences that induce smiles. Coffee brings smiles in all sorts of ways. Coffee perking, coffee done, a coffee cup clanking on the counter when brought by a loving spouse. The sound of silence. Take time for silence — time to breathe, contemplate, evaluate, enjoy, remember and relax. May you discover in your silence sounds that bring a smile to T H I N K I N G your heart and reflect O U T L O U D on your face. Sharon Chase Hoseley We Work for You,
Right Here in the Valley 743-2471 604585A_21 1-800-900-2471 All work done by professional memorialists in our own local plant. 1603 Main Street, Lewiston, Idaho 83501 Chase Hoseley is a freelance writer and retired kindergarten teacher who lives in Clarkston. She looks forward to sharing her out-of-the-box, out-loud thoughts with you each month. She can be reached at shoseley8@gmail.com.
Be�er Hearing Opens New Worlds
It seemed a moment ago, you were holding her in your arms It seemed a moment ago, you were holding her in your arms coaxing a smile. Now, she’s becoming an adult before your coaxing a smile. Now, she’s becoming an adult before your eyes. One moment, she’s laughing at your jokes. The next, eyes. One moment, she’s laughing at your jokes. The next, she’s speaking wisdom . . . New worlds will open for her as she’s speaking wisdom . . . New worlds will open for her as you hear her laughs and wisdom. you hear her laughs and wisdom.
What new worlds will What new worlds will be�er hearing open be�er hearing open for you? for you?
Anne Simon, AuD Anne Simon, AuD
