Have you noticed the world has gotten quieter?

Have you noticed?

The world has gotten much quieter since closing down. Who would have ever thought that would happen?

I don’t have any empirical data to prove it, but I’ve heard it on TV a few times recently. So, trust me, it’s got to be true. At least I didn’t find it on the internet.

What do you think? Is it really quieter out there? I think it might be.

I just heard a cardinal tweeting outside my home office window. (No, he doesn’t have a little computer with a tiny keyboard to peck away on)…

I’m talking about the original kind of tweeting.

In three recent posts, I’ve talked specifically about the constant noise in our world and have mentioned noise in at least 23 other posts. That’s a lot… do you think it’s getting to me?

I’m thinking you might be feeling the same overload. Of course, not everyone’s home is on the glide path to Dulles Airport. But I wish it were only the jets making the noise…

The jets I can tune out!

We’ve become numb to it. Most of the time we don’t even realize how noisy our world has become. That is, until you’ve found yourself in one of those ever so rare, quiet moments.

Or in those even more rare—truly quiet places.

I’ve shared this with you before, but the experience was so impactful, that I think it’s worth revisiting.

One nice spring morning, while relaxing in my favorite quiet place at home, I began to notice one seemingly insignificant sound after another. Most weren’t bad or obnoxious by themselves, like the white noise of a jet passing overhead (see, jets aren’t that bad).

Some of the sounds were even pleasant… birds singing, kids playing, leaf blowers harmonizing. You know, normal suburban sounds.”
—me

Curiosity took over and I began to count.

How many discrete sounds do you think I could identify?

I made a list (sorry, can’t help it). I was able to identify over forty individual sounds… most of them we would call noise. And, to top it off, my hearing isn’t that great.

All of this constant input can leave us brain-locked without even realizing it. (Do you still believe all those zombie shows on television are fiction?)

But, guess what?

I’ve done this experiment several times since the lockdown began (aka – The Great Pause). And at most, I could only identify up to ten discrete sounds. Yes Ten! WOW.

So what? The world won’t be this quiet for much longer!

We could resign and say, “Enjoy it while you can.”

You may even want to consider this somewhat extreme, yet not-so-crazy-after-you-think-about-it approach. I’m recommending we do this…

Identify three levels of “escape zones” that are readily available to you.

Level One – A quick get-away at home and at work (when the time comes) where you can escape for a few minutes at a time. At work, it might be the far corner of the cafeteria or an empty conference room. At home, it could be a spare bedroom or a bench outback.
Level Two – This is your escape pod. Still nearby, but a little more out-of-the-way. A favorite walking route or a nearby park works great.
Level Three – Maximum separation from outside stimulation is the idea here. We’re talking flight, freedom, and isolation. Finding the right place will take some work and careful consideration. Keep in mind, different noise and different distractions won’t work.

Okay, I know it may sound like we’ve ventured into radical territory here.

So why not take it a few steps further?

What else might a Level Three escape zone be called? No, I’m not talking about taking a ride into space with Elon Musk (yet). But that could eventually become an option.

As something to look forward to, consider this… Could that admittedly somewhat radical Level Three escape be accomplished through taking some time off? Possibly even that get-away-from-it-all annual event formerly known as a vacation?

We humans will travel again, you know. It will happen.

Might that work?

But, remember this, the essential ingredients are some quiet time, relaxation, and of course… disconnecting.

Spring is here. Now is the time to start making plans and finding your escape zones. Because even though the world has gotten quieter, it won’t be staying that way for long.

Be well, stay safe and sanitized, and… Be untucked.

I am sincerely humbled that you’ve chosen to visit LifeUntucked. Thank you for reading! If you liked this post, please share it with a friend.