Noisy Fall

Rachel Carson, a renowned biologist, was accustomed to enjoying the chatter and singing of birds each spring while she enjoyed a cup of coffee and worked on her scientific research and writing. As the 1950's came to a close she noticed a curious trend. The bird voices she cherished were no longer a part of her morning. Instead she was hearing a disturbing sound, silence. Her observation forever changed the use of pesticides in our environment as she discovered the cause of the decline of the birds. The chemical DDT was making its way through the food chain and weakening the shells of bird eggs. Ms. Carson went on to write the seminal book, Silent Spring. 

In some ways, we experienced our own silent spring as current circumstances resulted in a time of eerie quiet shutdown. The world seemed to stand still as the familiar sights and sounds of humanity screeched to a halt. Gratefully, the birds continued to sing and provide us with a healthy dose of nature. Other than that, life seemed anything but normal.

In contrast, our fall is filled with some familiar noises again. At 7:08 a.m. I hear the chug chug of a school bus idling as it waits for an elementary student to board the bus on my street. Around 7:45, my neighborhood elementary school sounds its bell, alerting students to get ready for a new day. From 7:30 to 8:00, the sound of traffic increases as worker bees head to the hive for another round of duty. At 8:25, the muffled conversations of middle school students begin as they wait for their bus to arrive on the corner. Sprinkled throughout the day, the sound of children enjoying their recess time on the playground makes me smile as I imagine swinging, sliding and games of tag. 3:00 p.m. brings more chatter as school kids, laden down with backpacks like bipedal turtles, make their way home from another day of school. And periodically, the beautiful sound of a practicing marching band fills the air. 

The crack of bats and animated play-by-play coverage began again as professional baseball games worked their way to the playoffs after an abbreviated season. Sadly, the Twins did not make it as far as my husband would have preferred, but it is good to hear the sound of baseball in the air again. The sound of kids practicing sports at a park near our house also has a musical ring to it. Tailgating may or may not be happening yet but football is making attempts to happen as well. I am a certified sports idiot but I confess there is something soothing about the routine and rhythm of sports.

The evil C-19 continues to rear its ugly head and make life challenging for us and there is much debate as to what is right and what is wrong with our approach to the monster. I have no crystal ball to fill in the future blanks. I only know that I am grateful for the sounds of daily living, even when they seem a little noisy.