I'm often concerned or annoyed by the pervasiveness of the electronic and operational engine noise that we are subjected too on a daily basis.
I am in my room working on my laptop. I have noise cancelling earphones on. They almost completely block out the TV noise while I work, and my children's voices etc. But, as I was sitting in my room, in the moments of silence between tracks, I became aware of an awful deep low electronic noise that was vibrating in my earphones. It was loud enough to be uncomfortable, and I could feel it in my ear canal. I have had an ongoing issue with the sound of our apartments extractor fans running constantly, making our walls vibrate, making my ears vibrate. When they are switched off at about 9pm, I have a moment of feeling dizzy and imbalanced as my ears become used to the silence.
We live next to a busy road, and the high pitched noise of constant traffic is also a noise I have learned to ignore.
Anyway, this noise was different, I took off my earphones and it was still there, coming from the wall of my room. When I put my ear to the window I could hear that it was coming either from another apartment, or from a building site. I am sitting in a state of having to self calm, because I have the traffic, extractor and now this other low frequency rumble entering my hearing.
It made me think of how a week or so ago, I just couldn't take it anymore. I switched off the fridge which is next to my office area. I had shut all of the laundry, bathroom and toilet doors to try and lessen the extractor noise, but the moment I switched off the fridge I felt such a sense of relief. I didn't realise how much noise it made, not a noticeable noise. But when it's gone... you notice.
How many of us fill our hours with music, neflix etc. just to drown out the horrid random not-so-white noise that surrounds us?
I wish I could switch it all off.
