Our society is so overwhelming stimulating, that most people probably don't even realize it. I noticed this when I came back from spending 4 1/2 years overseas, and went into a supermarket. I'd gotten used to the laid-back life and mentality of Neapolitans (in fact, I'm still considered Napolitan by the natives!). Trying to pick a deodorant was tricky, at that time, because I could choose from 3 shelves of a full aisle! That's not how it was when I'd left the States in Jan '96, and certainly not how life was living abroad.
I have confirmed it's not "just me" when it comes to how ridiculous the stores have gotten recently. I noticed it first at the big hardware (and more) store in town; different sections had "how to" videos playing non-stop. . . aside from the overhead radio. Then a big grocery+garden+clothes+etc store in town got to me really bad with all their audio pollution. Non-stop advertisements over the radio playing too loud, and in the electronics (and movies & games) section was the ever-cycling noise machine advertising some game or another.
Even resorting to my favorite craft store in town has become an overwhelming experience. They, also, have a bunch of "how to" videos playing all over the place, on top of overhead music and various other noises. Then there's the overwhelming sniffy stuff that's taken up abundance, because people are into these "diffusers" and whatnot. Long gone are the days of simple potpourii! Now there's audio and olafactory overload! The seriously disappointing part for me about the craft store going with this mass stimulus pollution was I enjoyed going there for the quiet creativity time-- to roam around and "think outside the box." There's no doing that there anymore! Around every bend, for every section (and I do something from pretty much every section of a craft store) is another "how to make _____" video playing. Never mind they have book tutorials and classes available.
Please, for the love of sanity, stop the pollution!
There's a particular store where I go grocery shopping that has steeply discounted prices, which I love. What I don't love is they always have the radio or whatever blaring-- as in, can hardly hear what another person is saying! I always carry ear plugs with me, that way when I get over-stimulated by the noise pollution, I can at the very least, decrease it. The plugs never block it all out-- just blocks out the background stuff, which then allows me to focus my attention on shopping or hearing what someone is trying to tell me. I had to go to this particular store today, and was not looking forward to it-- Friday + a pay day + nice weather = screaming into the night.
Knowing I'd have to go there, I stopped first to get a bit to eat before it was time to take my thyroid (I hate having to schedule eating around when I take that thing!), check over the shopping list, and work on another list. Even after eating, i was still shaking and cranky, so I went to the hair salon, where it's usually mostly quiet and a pleasant atmosphere (it's not all stinky like you'd expect at a hair place!) to chill for a bit. I browsed through a couple of magazine, literally laughing out loud at some of the stuff (I browsed through a book about not looking older-- I don't think it was meant as a comic!). It took about an hour or so, including chit-chatting with the ladies, for my nerves to settle enough for me to make the grocery trip. My hair stylist was amazed (again) at how quickly my hair grows, and we all (the salon ladies and the customer) commented on various aspects of noise levels and child-rearing. The gals are quite a bit older than me, which is great for me because that's more my. . . "level."
Anyway, got to the discount grocery place, put in my earplugs immediately after getting inside, and starting my browsing (I know I missed writing down some things) up and down the aisles. A few times throughout the store, I passed by a gal with two young children. by near the end, she was almost yelling at them to "just be quiet so I can process!" I so totally know what she was going through. When she put her hands to her face and covered her eyes and tried breathing in deep, I felt a stirring. Not a chastising, not from me. I pulled out one of my ear plugs, and by that time she'd looked at me (we'd passed earlier and she recognized me) and had that "exasperated mother" look on her face. I said, "These [indicating my ear plug] are about $1.29 and can help save your sanity." We chatted a bit, and I hope that letting her know she's not alone in feeling overwhelmed was of help. I also hope that poor mom gets some ear plugs!! They are a life-saver; not for the mother, mind you, but it saves the children from the wrath of an overwhelmed mom! :-) Been there, am there, done that, doing it.
I successfully made it out of the store with my sanity intact thanks to my ear plugs, and was able to be nice to the cashier and bag boy as we exchanged superficial words.
To stores and other public places: Please, please for the sake of humanity, stop adding to the noise pollution. If we want to hear music, we can put in earphones! If I want to know how to do something, I'll borrow/rent/buy a book or instructional video, enroll in a class, or talk to someone-- please stop hammering at us, your customers.
Of all our senses, noise is most easily stimulating to me and can set me off in a hurry. Especially loud noises. Particularly sudden, loud noises. Alarm clock buzzing will have my fists up in a jiffy. Phones ringing set off Hubby, as they are one of his PTSD "triggers." (he was triggered while we were at a pizza place in town the other night-- I had to work rather hard to keep him level headed. Even the kids noticed Dad's "change").
I know we're spoiled with this property. It's usually very quiet-- you can hear the wind before feeling it. You can hear the rain before it arrives. Birds, frogs, bugs, and other nature noises perform like a quiet symphony that is soothing. In the distance, the low rumble of the train can be heard as it goes through the center of town. The train's horn isn't unpleasant from this distance, it's kind of comforting, actually. I don't like having to leave our beloved property, but it's necessary sometimes. When I do leave, I don't like to be accosted, by the outside world, which unfortunately, is out of my control.
Have people forgotten how lovely "Quiet" is? That there is a sound to silence? Silence is horribly loud if not broken by the nice little chirps of birds, wind rustling the tree leaves, frogs croaking to find a mate. I fear this peaceful part of life is one more thing that our society has forgotten in its "progress."
Okay, well, I didn't really plan this entry. Just sort of needed to get the jangle of words out of my head. See, I'm easily overwhelmed by stimuli outside of myself, because I've already got a lot going on inside. For instance, do you know that you can hear your blood flow when there's enough quiet. . . or if you have a migraine? That's not to mention the hundred of things running through my head at any given moment.
Now, it's time to "tuck in the kids" (not that they stay tucked in), a routine event in our lives that will probably come to an end before too long. And then I can enjoy my quiet, such as I get. The fridge is still humming, the fan for the computer still whirling, Fat Cat still walking around. But mostly, it's the "end of the day" . . . simmering. One small, simple comfort. Relative quiet.
Oh, a quick "point in fact." In my car, I play CDs. If I've got my car running and I'm just in my driveway (windows down or up doesn't matter), I can have the volume of the music at about. . . 2 or 3 (depending on the disc). By the time I get to town, I have to have the volume closer to 5 or 7, and in Seattle? I think I had to get it up to about 12 or so to hear it--barely-- above the traffic. . . with my windows up! Same music, different areas, different volume adjustments to compensate for all the "background" noise.
~Cedeham~
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