Monday, January 23, 2006

Satisfying Noises

I think it’s fair to say that I am overly sensitive to loudness. I can happily listen to the TV at levels most people can’t hear, and although I do occasionally crank the stereo, if you crank the stereo and it’s something I don’t care for, I just can’t handle it. Even small noises are capable of completely tormenting me, especially if they’re of a repetitive nature; tapping or dripping, that sort of thing.
But there are also noises that please me endlessly. Two that come to mind today:
1) There’s a new self-serve machine at the post office that accepts packages. When you tap the screen, it makes an electronic, loudish clack. I don’t know how to describe it any better than that. It seems to be it’s own distinct sound. Best of all, there never seems to be a line at the self-serve machine even though there is almost always a line for the real people. I can only assume those people don’t know about the satisfying clack.
2) The dial on an iPod. Ben got an iPod for Xmas and I was pretty unfamiliar with them before this. Again, it’s a sort of artificial sounding tick tick tick tick tick, but it’s just so dang pleasant.

3 comments:

Lisa said...

Was at the post office this weekend using the very same machine and loveloveloved that sound. Absolutely delicious clack.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I so love it when people validate me on things like this! Thanks, Lisa!

Anonymous said...

i'm with you on the sensitive ears thing. i hate loud noises and rooms and white noise. i love having the TV on at nearly inaudible levels.

sometimes late on a sunday, after the TV has been on for far too many hours, i finally turn off the TV and realize that my ears were close to mutinous behavior. i don't know what that behavior would look like in ears, but thankfully i turn off the noise just in time. refreshing silence.