Silence is golden.

 

Silence is an amazing thing, much more than the absence of noise, it has a quality of its own. Anyone having sat in angry silence knows this is a very different thing to a tranquil silence. The texture of it is such that someone walking into a room knows the difference and a very uncomfortable difference it can be.

We treasure silence, it has long been associated with a deeper level of thinking than is needed to simply function. Museums, libraries, spiritual spaces are associated with silence, these places almost demand it. Theatre and by extension cinema are places audiences listen not talk, rustling sweet wrappers is frowned upon.

Vows of silence are taken on the basis this is a higher attainment than talking. Fools prattle, thinkers are deep in thought. We value silence.

Noise pollution may not be a modern curse but its spread is. It was not so long ago in the scheme of things when the internal combustion engine first appeared and the ability of noise to travel in a manner it previously did not was born.

There is a gulf of difference between the noise you create yourself and the noise others force upon you. I live in an area invaded by tourists in summer, the local attractions attract by noise. Noise breeds noise. To maintain a personal sound-scape you either turn up your own noise to drown out that of others or you reduce the noise of others.

Reducing the noise of others on a hot day means closed windows and that is a poor option. Just recently I have acquired a pair of those noise cancelling headphones. They cut out a lot of noise by the mere fact they are headphones and then by clever use of compensating soundwaves it reduces further exterior sounds. Not perfect but an improvement.

Walking in the great outdoors is usually about escaping the unwanted noise of others. Some people seem happy walking along busy roads but they are the exception not the norm.

I take my mp3 which is often only used for audio books at night or during the day to reduce the impact the inconvenient noise of others. Sometimes it just helps a dull passage of a walk pass a little easier. Very rarely does it fill a "silence" on a walk.

I have notes from walks from years ago which continually refer to the sound-scape. Escaping the noise pollution is an essential part. I know I would be happier walking through a silent city rather than a woodland filled with man-made noise.