A sudden sound of steady thuds shot me out of my backyard deck chair.
I live in a quiet, older community with little-to-no crime. Our traffic is limited to local vehicles, mostly elderly folk driving their Buicks to senior center activities, the grocery, doctor, or hair appointments.
When that muffled deep pounding began, I joined several neighbors on alert. Some cautiously peered out their windows. Some dared to step onto their front yard or porch.
We traced the source of the thumps to a young man dribbling a basketball as he walked down the street. He looked at us with an expression, as if to ask, “Is this the first time you’ve seen someone walk down your street with a basketball?” We waved, smiled, said hello and then gathered in a neighbor’s yard while the aspiring basketball player turned the corner.
We swapped small talk and caught up on weather patterns and yard care duties until one outspoken man piped up and asked, “Am I the only one who thought those sounds were gun shots?” We sheepishly nodded and chuckled.
Our small crowd agreed that years ago, gun shots would have been one of the last things from our minds. We would have guessed a flat tire or maybe a loud stereo with heavy bass, but not gun shots.
As we slowly dispersed, I thought about how our perceptions have evolved and devolved. Horse hooves on cobblestone were replaced by tires on blacktop. Children played outside and laughed. Now I struggle to decipher between squeals from fun, pain, or fear. “Go out for a long shot” may not be considered a ball pitch anymore.
To prevent myself from launching into a verbal ambush, I’ll finish with a sense of gratitude for my hearing. When I fine tune my spiritual ears to decipher what God and creation teach me through sound, sight, smells, and Spirit, I amplify my wisdom. Hopefully this practice keeps me from taking less shots in the dark.
Shooting for the best,
Christina
Reader! Your turn.
What sounds do you associate with certain events?
How has your experience changed about how you interpret noises?
Let’s learn from each other. Please kindly leave your comments.
“The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Prov. 18:15).
For 5-minute audio clips, go to You Tube: A Slice of PIE with Christina Mae