Do you have a favourite sound?
Dunno. Never thought about it before. I like some more than others, I suppose. Why?
Then it stands to reason that one of those you like more than others could possibly be liked more than all the others?
Yeah, sure. But I need to think about it. Why, what's yours?
I actually have thought about this. But that probably doesn't surprise you, does it?
Not in the least. So? Spill.
A quiet night at home. It's dark, only a single light on in the entire house to read by. No other sounds to disturb the silence; the air is thick with it. It's palpable, and I can feel my heart thud in my chest. I breathe in rhythm to that. The faint scrape as my finger turns the page is almost jarring -- would be, if it too wasn't a favourite sound. Beside me on the solid wood TV tray is a crystal tumbler filled with a generous dram of single-malt scotch, poured over three large, transparent ice cubes. After some minutes, of their own accord, the cubes settle in the tumbler, tinkling, the precursor to a sharp crack splitting one ice cube nearly in two. The crack reverberates through the crystal, which deigns to chime with a small, pure tone that causes me to catch my breath. Rapt, I strain to catch the moment - the instant - that marks the boundary between sound and silence. I never can. That, my friend, is my favourite sound.
Huh. Neat.
All that, and that's the best response you can come up with? Ass.
No, I prefer my scotch neat. Ass.
Whatever. So? Have you thought about it?
I was so engaged by your description - rapt, even - that all other thoughts were forced from my head. I'll need a little more time.
You're being sarcastic.
More facetious, really.
It was a serious question. Think about it.
Okay. Um, how's this. It's Saturday afternoon. I'm still in bed, listening to my wife in the shower. Cars, buses, people, and the bustle of an afternoon add to the generally pleasant wash of noise. The baseball game's on TV, but I've muted it since I'm so intent on my Game-boy. Kickin' some serious ass on Zelda. Something changes. I can't tell what at first; it's nothing obvious. Then I smile and turn off the Game-boy, put it on my night-stand. My wife just turned off the water in the shower. That, my friend, is my favourite sound.
Interesting. And why is it your favourite sound?
Simple. Saturday afternoons after a shower -- the best chance of my week to get laid.
You're such a slug!
Thanks.
Whoa: shiny new format, dude; kind of alarming for those of use not used to change.
But very new-as-tomorrow looking.
Posted by: rna | Saturday, 03 March 2007 at 08:30 AM
If you have someone guest-blog, I think you're supposed to let us know somehow...
(I haven't told you lately how much I love your writing...)
My favorite sound in the whole world is that glorious, innocent, uncontrollable giggling that emanates from deep within the bellies of very young children.
Second is the deep bass throb when music is cranked up high (or live-even better!) that you can feel in the pit of your stomach.
Third; that audible sigh, (from either partner) after coming down from some really excellent, satisfying, um... fun activity.
Posted by: Linda | Saturday, 03 March 2007 at 09:43 AM
My favorite sound is a fresh bottle being shaken and brough to me.
Happy Birthday, Tavish! You'll have to let me know how the celebration goes since I've never had one.
Posted by: Norah | Saturday, 03 March 2007 at 11:45 AM
Favourite sounds?
1. The whistle of a distant train on a warm, breezy prairie night.
2. The furnace at night.
3. The laughter of my children.
Posted by: Marc | Saturday, 03 March 2007 at 12:53 PM
Here's hoping that Tavish is having a wonderfully wonderful First Birthday! Hugs and Kisses for the little guy.
Posted by: Linda | Saturday, 03 March 2007 at 04:47 PM
I can't say what my all-time favorite sound is (but one of Linda's was pretty close).
Others I like are Ben's laugh, my wife singing, rain on a tin roof, a mountain stream rolling over rocks, a wood thrush's song.
Happy Birthday to Tavish!
Posted by: Mark | Saturday, 03 March 2007 at 11:14 PM
If there's a contest, I'd say the kiddies are coming out on top!
I forgot the sound of a light rain on the tent roof in summer...
Posted by: Linda | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 04:23 AM
My vote is for cicadas on a really hot summer day. It's not summer till the cicadas start to sing. Is it too much info to say that I agree with #3 as well?
Posted by: Tal | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:31 AM
Linda's #3 that is, as opposed to Marc's. Not having kids of my own makes that one tricky, you see.
Posted by: Tal | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:33 AM
I didn't really expect this to prompt similar responses, but I'm sure glad it did! Some very good additions in there. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that contented sigh. I'm a big fan of it as well.
Rick, sorry to startle you with the new design. Tending towards miminalism right now. If you see the blog disappear entirely you'll know I've gone too far.
Posted by: Simon | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 08:12 AM
Some of these have been mentioned already...but I'd like to log my votes:
A train in the distance
Water over rocks
Norah's giggle
Wind through leaves on a cool night
The crackle of a camp fire.
The first three seconds of the Star Wars theme.
Least Favorite Sound: The squeak of very cold snow under foot. I probably shouldn't move to Edmonton, eh?
Posted by: Moksha Gren | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 12:51 PM
Moksha, an Edmonton winter may not be the thing for you. Winter's unique sounds are some of my favourites, though. A lot of them evoke, in me, a sense of the vastness of the landscape and how foreign and small a presence Man has in it. That cold-snow-crunch is definitely one of them.
Posted by: Simon | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 01:29 PM
Mokker reminded me that if I could never hear the snapping and popping of wood in a campfire, well... what would be the sense of going on???
This is a little off the wall, but something I get a kick out of... when frying Spam (yes, I love canned Spam...)and it's good and hot, press the spatula down on it and listen to it squeal. Cool. :-Þ
Posted by: Linda | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 02:53 PM
Si - 95% of the sounds of snow warm my heart. However, something about the squeak really bugs me. I think it's actually the feeling of it vibrating its way up my leg that wiggs me out, because it doens't disturb me to hear someone else squeak snow.
Linda - I know that squeal well. In my bachelor days, the spam and egg sandwich was favorite. It went away long before the rest of the meat because I made the mistake of calculating the fat content of my delicacy. Eek! But yeah...nothing else makes that sound.
Let me also add to the list of favorite sounds: the sound of a shallow echo of footfalls in a cave or cellar. Moonshot and I went to a small winery town this weekend as a getaway. I was in heaven walking through the old wine cellars. The crisp, moist air, the varied echoes...it was like being back in the caves of my youth with my Dad.
Posted by: Moksha Gren | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 03:32 PM
I share so many of the above, but danged if I can think of them on my own.
Nature's sounds are just a given with me. Aside from those, hmmm... the Blizzard machine at a Dairy Queen. It means the good stuff's coming.
Rats! Now I want a Blizzard.
Right now, my favorite sound is the woman at the McDonald's drive-thru as she tells each vehicle "Can you pull up to the next speaker, please? Hello? Can you hear me?"
This Internet-almost-anywhere is fun.
Posted by: Mark | Tuesday, 06 March 2007 at 11:57 AM