A little over a week ago, a thought started swirling around me head. It’s something that I’ve thought about a lot since then and I also immediately knew that I would have to write a blog entry about it. I don’t know how well I’m going to properly describe the thought or the wonders of it, but I’m going to try. Also, it wasn’t really so much of a thought as much as it was a wonder. And it’s simply, how amazing is sound?

In today’s world where people cannot agree what’s right or wrong, up or down, moral or immoral, they can all agree on sounds. They may not be able to agree on whether the sounds are good or not, but we know what each one is. Thunder is something that we’ve all heard. It’s distinct. We know it. We agree that it’s thunder.

I don’t go to (or near) beaches often, but when I do, I know that I’ll hear the distinct sounds of wind, ocean water, and seagulls. It’s something I expect. I probably take it for granted. I probably shouldn’t. It really is quite an amazing thing.

I remember a few years ago as Superstorm Sandy was impacting my area. I heard wind gusts and I heard rain. I also heard the distinct sound of a tree across the street cracking before it fell, hit another tree, and then crashed to the ground. That’s a sound that I won’t forget.

Songs are a mixture of sounds blended together. A typical band may have one standard guitar player, a bass guitar player, one drummer, and a vocalist. The combined sounds of the various instruments and voices can make a wide array of different sounds. And the sound of whatever song is created from the combination of those sounds very well might create an emotional response from the person that hears it. It could be complete joy, it could be anger, it could be sadness. Or, if the person really doesn’t like the music, it could be disgust. But, it’s the same sounds creating all of those different reactions.

And even more amazing is that two people can take that same guitar or bass, which are tuned the exact same way, and produce complete different sounds from them.

For the majority of my life, I’ve had birds. The sound of them being excited to see me is comforting. Those sounds have ranged from standard parakeet chirps, to the sounds of them mimicking the 8 year old version of me doing a high pitched scream, to them calling my name, them greeting me with words (which sometimes is as simple as “hello), or just random bird gibberish. Those birds also understand sounds though. They know music. They react to it by signing and dancing. They know anger. They know that by yelling back. They also know that the word “kiss” is followed by a variety of sounds to mimic a kiss sound.

If you were told that you were going to a sporting event at an arena, but you would need to keep your eyes closed until a few minutes after it started, there’s a good chance that you could figure it out by the sounds. If it was basketball, you would hear the squeak of the sneakers on the court or the sound of the ball bouncing. If it was hockey, you might hear the swishing sound of players skating on the rink. I’m fully confident that you heard those sounds in your head as you read this.

What about sounds that most people believe to be bad ones? Fingernails on a blackboard. The sounds of utensils scraping together. Fire alarms. The crunching of cars during a crash. They’re all distinct.

During the summer months, the sound of an air conditioner in my bedroom is soothing. Not only does it produce that “white noise” sound that I like, it also lets me know that the temperature in my room will be enjoyable. It’s a comfort thing. However, the sound of a loud air conditioner in a room that is supposed to be quiet can be a nuisance. The same thing creating different feelings.

There’s some sound that younger people may not be able to identify today. The sound of a rotary phone dialing or the sound of a standard telephone ringing. How about an old fashioned regular typewriter? The kind with the spindle and bell. Those didn’t produce the same sound as the laptop keyboard that I’m typing this on, yet they served basically the same function.

How about babies? When a baby is born and it cries for the first time, it’s the most wonderful sound that new parents will ever hear. Yet, a few months later when that baby is crying in the middle of the night, the same wonderful sound may not seem as wonderful to those new parents. Again, the same sound, but a different reaction.

Sometimes I turn on a soundscape from one of the various apps on my TV or tablet at night to soothe me to sleep. It may be water flowing in a creek. It may be the sounds of outer space. Sometimes, it’s a campfire scene (no, not the one from Blazing Saddles. If you know, you know). Sometimes, it’s “white noise” or “brown noise.” Those sounds will ease my transition to sleep. However, just a few hours later, the same sounds may be what wakes me up. It’s another example of the same sounds having different responses.

As I’ve gotten older, some sounds that I hear frequently are the creaks and cracks in my body. My wrists, by ankles, and my knees make a lot of noise. A loud noise coming from my back can either be a good thing or it can prevent me from being able to stand up on my own. As long I don’t hear those bad sounds, I may go for a run. Even with the sound of music in my ears from the earbuds in there, I’m still able to hear the sound of wind as I pick up speed or if there’s a gust. I can also sometimes here the sound of myself wheezing, but I digress.

I’ve really enjoyed thinking about the wonders of sound over the past week. From the initial “wow” moment to when I started typing this a few minutes ago, I’ve really liked the realization of how amazing certain things in life are. Even the simplest things that most of us experience every day.

As I’ve committed myself to one entry per month and I’m just hours away from missing that mark, I’m going to end this here with this appropriate quote from Douglass Adams:

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”