Did you hear that?

While contemplating my condition last week, I started to ponder my earlier thread concerning smells and decided to expand upon it to the other senses. And today I want to hit on one of the wonderful, less appreciated senses: Hearing. We hear millions of sounds every day, but we tend to ignore or overlook them as they are part of our daily life (like background noise). Some are more invasive like a jet flying overhead while other sounds are more subtle like the wind in the trees. Hearing is something we tend to take for granted. You never miss it until you lose it. As a tanker in the Army, I have heard my share of booms and can appreciate how much one can damage your hearing if you are not careful. I try to protect my hearing as much as I can and where ear plugs when out hunting/shooting, but I was not always as cautious in my youth and feel I may wind up with some hearing loss as I get older.

As with smell, we all have sounds that bring back some memories from our youth. Some of the more memorable sounds (good & bad) that I can recall:

1. Thunder – Shadow was very intuitive and always knew when a storm was coming (was terrified of them). I find it exhilarating to listen to the sound of a storm rage overhead, especially when in a house or in a building. While hiking in Philmont in 2004, one afternoon a thunderstorm rolled in on top of us and lasted for 2 hours. To sit at 9,600 feet in a backpacking tent on a hill while a storm rages above is, to put it mildly, quite chilling.
2. Rain – peaceful. The Army did its level best to make life, how can I put it?, uncomfortable, at times. I spent many a day/night in the field when it was raining or snowing nonstop. Guess what? They don’t call the maneuvers on account of rain. You learn to live with the wet and cold conditions. That is why, when I wake up and hear it raining on the roof of the house, I still smile and thing, life could be worse. And then roll over and go back to sleep.
3. Barking – fear/comfort. From my earlier thread, you might take it that I am missing our mutt and you’d be right. He used to have a distinctive bark/howl when he heard you coming in the door or heard the garage door opening. That was our early warning system that someone was coming in or we had company.
4. Dead battery – dread. Come on, we’ve all heard it. It is at the MOST inconvenient time and not something you want to hear. Groceries in the car, late for work, trying to get to school, need to make a flight. Any time is bad. Along with all of my other sagas over this past holiday, my truck’s battery decided it was time to depart. Fortunately, I had warning/inclination that this was forthcoming and could respond without panic. I had the inclination the battery was on its last legs (4.5 years old) and was prepared to have it replaced over the holidays.
5. Retching – panic. Nothing, and I MEAN NOTHING, will get a reaction from me like the sound of retching. Whether it is your child getting ill in the middle of the night or your dog having dry heaves at the foot of your bed, nothing gets me out of bed faster. Once or twice in the middle of the night, Shadow would start making the “I’m going to hurl” sound, and I would be instantly awake and hit the ground trying to pick him up and get him out the front door. One night, I had to toss him in the shower (easier to clean than carpet).
6. A dentist’s drill – nerve wracking. You know. That high pitched whine that is almost like fingernails on the blackboard (another memorable sound). Still makes me pucker up when I hear it (I blame it on The Marathon Man).
7. Babbling brook/mountain stream – incredibly peaceful & serene.
8. A baby’s cry – you’re not quite sure what the reason is but a baby’s cry can cause a range of emotions. Anything from sympathy, to concern or fear or distain. For those with kids, you are concerned that your child is ok. For those without kids, the crying can sometimes be annoying. A looong time ago, I used to be one of the latter until my son was born. I used to be impatient with crying babies on planes, in stores, etc. However, after many sleepless nights, my perspective has changed. Now, whenever I hear a crying baby, I have a lot more empathy with the mom/dad.
9. A puppy’s whine – those first (long) nights at home locked up in his kennel
10. A silent snowfall – the definite lack of sound makes it almost ethereal
11. The sound of a round being chambered in a gun – there’s just something about the sound of pumping a round in a 12 gauge shotgun that just means business.
12. The sound of a rattlesnake – fear. My friend and I have hunted in the fields of South Texas for years and we have run across a few of those mean critters. Ever seen a grown man walk on top of grass? My buddy did that when he almost stepped on one. My motto is: You leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone.