Noise Pollution

A few nights ago I was listening to the old AC/DC rock anthem “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”. And for whatever reason it got me thinking about noise and the distractions we put up with every day. For me there are two kinds of noise pollution that I identify with, the first being noise in general. This consists of the noise of the city, the noise of heavy equipment running, and the chatter of the everyday work-away-world. Then there’s the noise that crowds our minds, the voices from the past, the voices of the present, and the voices of the future. Each in its own way is a distraction to our peace of mind and spirit.  

As I have gotten older, I’ve noticed my tolerance for noise has sharply dropped off. At one time I could drive down the road with my sound system blaring as load as it would go. I could wear my headphones; have the radio playing, and the TV going, all at the same time, while doing my homework. (Which may account for my stellar grades back then.) Now I hardly every have the TV on or music playing in the background while working. Plus I don’t know if I would survive having to play dodge-car each day through morning traffic. Or having an office where I couldn’t hear the songbirds sing each day. 

But despite living in my own quite paradise, I still have to deal with the voices of doubt and gloom. Voices that come from the past, present, and future; both from myself and others, that tell me what I can’t and shouldn’t do. To get away from those noises you have to resolve the hurts from the past, overcome the doubt in the present, and brave the fear of the future. It ain’t easy, believe me I know. For years I’ve had the tools to live the quiet life, but sometimes having the right tools doesn’t make the job any easier. It can require repeated applications and many do-overs. But if you are steadfast and stubborn, then maybe, just maybe you too can work to live a noise free life.