These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Peaceful Moments in the Noise

As I sit to update this blog, I'm taking stock of my surroundings.

I'm sitting in a Starbucks, enjoying free Wifi.
1. To my right, two ladies of college and/or career age are in a vigorous and joy-filled conversation.
2. The Muzak (aka in-house music remix) plays some loud music of the Big Band era.
3. I attempt to combat the raucous cacophony by wearing earbuds, playing my peaceful instrumental Christmas music.
4. Two men ahead of me are having a slightly softer conversation, but express themselves with hand and facial gestures, that appear to be unintentionally drawing me into the conversation from across the room.
5. To my left, the kitchen area is humming with coffee-makers and smoothie-makers expressing the pleasant sounds of refreshments on the way to their owners.
6. Cars drive by on the four-lane outside the bay windows with their visual "noise."

As a man, who has always had to deal with AD/HD, though I've not always been able to identify it as such, one wonders how I am able to write any sort of a coherent blog post.

However, as someone, who, also, finds complete silence to be almost deafening, this backdrop of quasi-white noise creates a unique peace, that is all its own. I often need some sort of music or the whir of a fan to provide me a background sound for focus, while I'm indoors.

While outdoors I often give up on writing anything at all and just enjoy the symphony of chirping crickets, singing mockingbirds, and cars and semis as they groan and whoosh down the road.

Some people like to listen to music as they walk or run on their daily work-outs. However, for me, the sounds of nature and people enthrall my creative heart as I exercise to the largest wall-sized screen in the world. You've heard of surround-sound. This television is surround-everything: sound, visuals, smells, etc.

Enjoy your peace today in the midst of the often quite noisy world.

by Jay O'Toole
on April 29th, 2019