Escaping the Noise!

This summer, I could not escape from the blaring sounds of leaf blowers, garden tools, construction vehicles, and jackhammers! I was trapped in an anti-symphony! Closing the window only turned down the volume – and not enough.

My street was under construction. They were tearing out most of the curbs and replacing them. The school behind me was under construction. They were renovating the student cafeteria that faces the back of my house. My neighbors’ landscapers seemed to live at their homes and one was replacing their roof. I wished I owned earplugs!

I wonder how people who live in very noisy places can focus. When even one of the construction sounds stops, even briefly, the relief is enormous.  My days have been punctuated by the beep-beep-beep of vehicles backing up – into my house and my head.

Sometimes it is hard to focus on the important things because of the noise. It may be the latest television show or the most popular game app on the phone. It maybe the spin from politicians that is purposely designed to make me angry, indignant, or divert me from the real issues.

The noise distracts me and makes me unable to hear clearly. It makes it more difficult to think logically and focus on what is really important. For the past few weeks, I have cherished the few moments when quiet and clarity prevailed.

As we head back into election season, I fear that we all will be living in a construction zone. It will be challenging to cut through the noise and hear the real issues and ideas. It will be all too tempting to stick our heads into the ground, put in earplugs, or escape into the banal world of triviality and escape. Noise hurts, and when it surrounds us, we are not our best selves.

Have you ever been in one of those uncomfortable and noisy conversations where you fear you might say anything to change the subject or turn off the loud rhetoric? It is the conversational equivalent of a truck beeping in reverse for a very long time. How do we handle this? What do we say? Do we look at our laps and wish for silence? Do we add to the noise by raising our voices above the rest or simply talk about the weather or the local sports team?

I have been seeking silent focus. It has been difficult to find. I fear that will be the case for a while. However, I am teaching myself to tune out the noise by writing like this, and by becoming more involved in important and meaningful activities. I don’t notice the noise when I am with my family or working with my students. I notice it in those moments in-between.

Noise keeps us from being who we really are. Noise prevents us from thinking fully and deeply. Sometimes, those who do not want us to take advantage of our higher intellects use noise to prevent significant conversation. Sometimes noise is the accumulation of all the trivialities and distractions that are far more salient and attractive than the important matters that count.

There is a place for small talk and idle conversation. However, it should not replace big talk and substantive thought. Easy answers, quick platitudes, and flashy distractions are the cotton candy of our social diet. Living in the noise is not healthy. We must create spaces and times when we can slowly, thoughtfully, and quietly think.