I traveled to a dinky little Kansas town today. It happened to be 11:59 am when I arrived on Main Street. Noon. Suddenly I heard the noon siren - AKA the tornado whistle. Having grown up in tornado alley and having grown to fear that sound, this time I chuckled to myself at the memory. But then I thought of all the WW2 sirens that went off, that sounded just like this, and how so many hearts must have stopped (or still do ) when they hear that shrill scream in the air.
But immediately after the noon whistle came the church bells tolling twelve. I rolled the car windows down. So serene, so calm, and it took my back to the chapter in my life when we lived right by the university tower clock, and I would set my day to the chimes of the hour.
By this time I had parked my car, stepped out, and I heard the church bells again. This time they were playing Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me. How nice! What a sweet, sweet break in my day's thoughts.
As I walked down the sidewalk, I heard a doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo- noise overhead: a helicopter, flying low over this dinky little town.
Thank God for hearing, is all I have to say: an enjoyable 5 minutes of aural stimulation.
2 comments:
I had an aural overload myself today. I was on campus earlier than usual to print off some papers. I got up from my chair to fetch them and all of a sudden about three different sirens and alarms blasted me. LOUD. I must have been right in front of one of them because I couldn't hear what the computerized voice was telling me to do, or where I should go. I grabbed my papers and ran outside, but no one else seemed alarmed so it must have been just a drill. Still, my knees were shaking for about an hour after that!
You were in nursery school and touring the neighborhood firehouse. I had pulled up in my car just in time to hear them set the siren off for you 3-year olds...and just in time to see you fall on the sidewalk in mortal fear.
Maybe you were having a flashback this week...
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