One of the advantages of being in the UK is that I can read the DT supplement. An article therein was on the subject of silence and the fact that today is Silence Day.
The article asserted that people are uncomfortable with silence – I’m not – I don’t feel the need to have a background noise all the time. How about you?
Boadicea's Chariot 
Hello Boadicea: I couldn’t agree more, I favor a spell of silence when trying to focus on something. Luckily the new generation have adopted “I pods” and similar so their noises are only inflicted on themselves.
A related observation, it seems to me that the longer lived the relationship the less need there seems to be for the silence breaking chatter. I can sit quietly enjoying the day with old friends and there are long periods of silence, and this is not “the boredom of familiarity” but more a real feeling of comfort with someone else without the need for words or other artificial sounds.
I think “Silence Day” is an excellent idea.
For me it depends on the tinnitus… and how loud my internal noise is!
I like solitude and have no need for constant background music at all – but I do enjoy a spot of radio 4 while gardening!
Low wattage, that’s a good point about easy companionship not needing chatter all the time.
We have lost our SKY connection till the engineer comes in 10 days. Meanwhile the living room is perfectly sllent and with the patio doors open we hear birds singing, kids playing and neighbours chlldren splashing in an inflatable paddling pool. I recommend a NO TV day. Enjoy your holiday!
I cannot abide background noise, it’s just too distracting.
I have a feeling it’s an age thing, though. I used to be able to multi-task quite happily with lots of background noise and chatter.
I chat quite happily socially, but that’s different. I’m happy with silence.
What’s that? Sorry I can’t concentrate … the computer hum is ……..distracting me 😦
🙂
Never like wallpaper music in hotels, restaurants, reception and waiting areas, sports stadia, pubs, sitting rooms, cars, buses, trains……….
I think Silence Day is a great idea – now, if only I could convince my Grandchildren…
Bravo, I trust none of your family are near Zygi and last night’s explosion?
Thanks Janus, No, though my daughter and grandchildren have left Limassol for my place in the mountains to get away from the smoke from the fire, which was still ‘raging’ the last time I spoke to them an hour or so ago. They think they will be there for a few day, at least.. It has been announced that there will be rolling blackouts for the foreseeable future – meanwhile, we are getting more information here than they are over there, as the cover-up begins…
I’ve just spoken to my daughter who is in Cyprus. She’s not too close to the blast but they have no power at the moment.
That explosion was awful news.
I have eaten the local fish at the harbour restaurants in Zygi many times. Its view of the big power station is second to none!
I have always preferred silence all my life, I have never owned a record player, tape recorder, ipod or any other machine to reproduce noise!
I never shop in places with music, just leave and tell the management why!
I’ve never been to a pop concert in my life.
Spousal unit has to play his music when I am out, one of the reasons I go to spin days is so that he can play operas!
I do like live concerts of real music. and listen to talk radio at night.
I have never understood why inflicting choices of music on others in public places is considered acceptable.
They complain quickly enough about the odd whiff of fag smoke but can assault your eardrums with impunity.
The boy wised up very early. He could get away with any mischief he liked as long as it was perpetrated in silence.
When we livied in Brizzie we used often to drive north to Mooloolaba for long weekends and the Christmas/New Year breaks. Instead of ‘muzac’ they played tropical bird song over the outdoor pa system during the warm evenings and very relaxing it was too.
OZ
I hate noise that is not either beautiful music or intelligent conversation. There used to be a little dickey bird that disturbed me every morning. It tweeted incessantly for about 4 hours not only waking me long before it was time to get up, but once awake continued to annoy me intensely. I was forced to get hold of a high powered pellet gun and shoot it. It does not tweet any more. That incident reminded me of that childhood song:
There came to my window
One morning in spring
A sweet little robin,
Who came there to sing.
And the song that he sang
It was prettier far,
Than any I’ve heard
On the flute or guitar.
His wings he was spreading
To soar far away,
Then resting a moment
Seemed sweetly to say,
“Oh happy, how happy
The world seems to be,
Awake, dearest, child,
And be happy with me.”
Oops wrong second verse
Then just as he’d finished
His beautiful song
A wretched young man
With his gun came a long
He shot and he carried
My robin away
And I will ne’er hear him sing
At the break of the day.
In South Africa we are plagued by sirens and alarms of various types. I often imagine introducing tourists to the sounds of Africa.
“This is the sound of an ADT panic alert. See how it differs from that of a Chubb emergency.”
“This is a BMW smash and grab alarm, while that is a Mercedes hijacking.” etc.