Background 'noise' or not

I've been giving some thought to a body's need for silence. What kicked it off was my granddaughter's comment as she moved her bedroom furniture from my place to her new house. "You need music playing in the house, Grandma."

Then, this morning I get a text from son commenting on the quiet of his new house. Meanwhile, I'd spent my 'Morning Pages' time writing with the window beside me open to catch outdoor sounds. There's always a steady stream of traffic noise coming from a close-by highway mixed in with the chatter of wildlife. Occasionally, I'd catch the sound of wind gusting through the treetops.

Some people keeps the television on throughout the day but I'd have a problem with the 'talking heads. I'am partial to music playing while a project keeps me occupied...usually classical streaming on my computer because my radios won't pull in the distant signal. Other times, I like to listen to a christian station except sometimes the newer songs come across too heavily imbued with a rock beat. That's when the instrumentation overpowers the vocal and you have no idea what message is being sung.

My background noise is usually the tinkling of wind chimes. I have a musical set on both my front porch and back deck. Depending on which is in motion, the steady chime tells me which way the wind is blowing. Sometimes, though, my choice is silence. I find it necessary so I can listen and sort out the multitude of thoughts that flash through my mind. That's when I head for my grove of planted pines and walk the rows, up and down, back and forth, with only the whisper of my footsteps on the bed of fallen needles. The trees absorb all traveling sounds and create a deep silence I find very comforting.

Just goes to show how individually we've been created.Whatever background noise...or no background noise you prefer, doesn't really matter. What matters is that you make the most of these limited days we are given here on this earth.