The old rock and roll song by Sam Cook goes like this, “Ooh, aah, ooh, aah
Ooh, aah, ooh, aah (Well, don't you know) that’s the sound of man
working on the chain ga-a-ang, that’s sound of man working on the chain gang.”
The number of sounds the brain can distinguish through the
human auditory is unlimited. Sound is
amazing and modern technology can take Sam Cook’s song, digitally redo it, and
make it better than the original.
Aaron and I had a “surround sound system” that made movie
watching marvelous. With it, we would
hear all the sounds as if you were on location.
Guests to our home would jump when hearing a sound from behind them when
watching a movie.
Even with all the technological advances in sound, hearing
aids cannot duplicate human hearing. The
science of psychoacoustics is the study of sound perception by the human
auditory system. In normal hearing, the
eardrum and brain processes sound and eliminates the clutter and background
noise. The most common complaint from
hearing aid users is that they hear too much background noise, which is the
same problem that those of us with high frequency hearing loss have. I must watch a person’s lips when in a
crowd.
Hearing is a vital part of living and those of us that
cannot hear or are hearing impaired are at a disadvantage. Aaron will hear high frequency noise and ask,
“Do you hear that?” And I say, “Hear
what?” People think by shouting I can
hear them when in reality loudness is not the problem, tone is.
I never will forget the time I took a hearing test for work.
The nurse administering the rest said that I had high frequency loss. This common among men due to guns, saws,
engines, etc. The nurse said that I lost
the ability to hear certain female sounds to which my wife Lisa responds, “How
convenient!”
Listening to sounds can be frightening. A sound of a woman or child’s scream can be
blood curdling. A siren reminds us that someone has been killed, is dying, or
injured. The sound of thunder sends some
people into hiding. The sound of an
explosion will make us jump and cringe.
The sound of strong winds steers our emotions, and we fear a possible
storm. The flutter of a covey of quail
can startle an innocent walk in the field.
An angry dog growling signals fear, hearts start pounding. Horns blowing in traffic initiate's panic. Tractor trucks jake braking after midnight
causes on to sit up in bed with your eyes wide open.
Sounds can be irritating.
The sound of water dripping faucet will keep us awake or it will make us
irritable. The sound of a crying baby (a
spoiled cry) draws our attention. The
buzz of a mosquito is aggravating. The
buzz of a fly is annoying. The sound of
fingernails scratching a chalkboard makes a horrible sound. The sound of a carpenter bee digging in
Western cedar deck will ruin a quiet moment.
Sounds of vulgarity booming from car stereos are disturbing and
disgusting.
Sounds of people talking on cell phones in checkout lines
are most irritating. Late at night, the
sound of a tick-tocking clock makes the night long. The ding-donging of a clock at three in the
morning can usher in a long day. The
continual crowing rooster can end the most delightful dream. A barking dog in the middle of night brings
out the worst in most of us. A chirping
cricket will ruin most changes of falling asleep. A woodpecker tapping a tree and get on your
nerves. A tree frog continual chirping,
croaking, or whatever sound they make can get old after a while.
Some sounds are pleasant.
Birds singing and chirping on a beautiful morning can be
invigorating. The sound of water running
across rocks soothes the wearied mind.
The sound of water bubbling in an aquarium is therapeutic. The sound of a breeze in the trees brings a
breath of fresh air. The flutter of
hummingbird wings is enjoyable.
Dripping rain can be rhythmic.
Some sounds are in the ears of the beholder. The sound of a Harley –Davison Motorcycle is
that of the flutter of angel wings. The
mellow sound of a dual exhaust is hypnotic.
The music of an ice cream/popsicle truck makes your mouth water. The sound of construction invites
anticipation of something new. The sound
of a helicopter or jet makes one search the skies. The ding of an oven reminds us of something
to eat. The rattling of jar rings can be
the sound of kids playing or the sound momma canning, especially if you hear
the peacock on the pressure cooker pulsating.
Sounds can be sad.
Daddy said the saddest sound was the playing of Taps on a horn at night.
The weeping of a parent over a child or the loss of a child is heartbreaking. The sobbing of a hurt or lost child ushers
tears or a heartfelt moment. A fiddle or
harmonica can create sounds of sadness.
The sound of my dad’s last breath ushered sadness. The moaning of a dying person or animal
saddens the hardest of people.
In high school science class Mr. Delton Lowery asked, “If a
giant tree falls in the forest where there is no one, does it make a
sound?” Most students said yes. The answer is no. To hear the sound waves created by the fall
there must be a receiver of the sound waves.
Hence if no one is in the forest, there is no receiver and the crashing
tree makes no sound.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear Matthew 11:15 KJV
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