Noise

My blog the other day about the sounds and smells that I encounter on my morning walks reminded me of a television show we watched some years ago. It was part of a series of reality-type specials done on PBS that were fascinating, beginning with one called "The 1918 House". The concept involved taking people from today and putting them into a house in London which dated back to the early part of the twentieth century, removing all modern conveniences and having them live in the lifestyle of the earlier time period. It was authentic down to the staffing and food, clothing and careers. There were no modern interventions allowed unless it was a matter of life and death, literally, and all the people who participated did so knowing they were signing on for this experiment. It was so interesting. We tend to romanticize the earlier periods in history and these programs definitely cured me of that!

Apparently we were not the only ones who enjoyed this concept because it was so popular they went on to make one set in London during the WWII years, another set in the earliest colonial days in America (Colonial House), and my favorite of all, settlers in the early 1800s out west (Frontier House). Those who participated in these experimental time periods (and each experiment lasted about 6 months, I believe) learned so much about the people and places in history that they inhabited. And so did their viewers. It was really a great series and we looked forward to each installment as it came along. (And it's probably available on DVD if anyone is interested!)

The point of all this is that one thing I remember in particular was the one set in colonial New England during the 1700s. When the experiment was over, these two families who had lived within sight of each other for the past months, were thrown back into regular society and taken to a WalMart for supplies. The thing they were the most startled with was the noise. After months of living out in the wilderness with only an occasional plane passing overhead, they'd become so accustomed to the quiet and used to hearing only birds singing and animals braying, with their horses and cows making the only sounds, along with the humans who were with them. Their ears were assaulted with the sounds of modern society and I was struck by their horror during the re-entry period.

I rarely have quiet in my house. I often have the television on just for the company! In addition I hear street traffic, my police scanner, the clock, humming appliances, clothes clinking in the dryer, the telephone ringing, and all other manner of sounds that we live with every day. Even in remote areas there are modern noises, which was in fact one of the challenges of the television producers who had to  find a place to film their show without the intrusion of the 21st century. Sit in your living room and listen - its amazing what you hear (even now, before the leaf blowers crank up)!

How interesting would it be to live in peaceful silence, with only the sounds of nature to keep us company. I might not like it for extended periods but it might be very nice for a few days....