Published: May 19, 2008 09:49 pm            

Ms. Takes: The senses speak, so hearing is believing

I understand that seeing is believing. I’ve heard that of the five senses, the sense of smell is most apt to trigger memories. Since our recent move, however, I nominate the sense of hearing as vastly underrated.

We grew accustomed to noises on Wabash Avenue when we lived on 23rd Street and it seemed awfully quiet when we moved to Village Quarter. The only noises there were the occasional whine of an ambulance siren or the remote toot of a train whistle in the night. Is it possible to live in Terre Haute without a train whistle? Seems the only choice is just HOW remote.

We now grow familiar with a new set of night noises. Some amorous creature under the bedroom window our first night here spent the night giving out what I suppose was a mating call. I swear I heard some sort of response from the far side of the pond, but as neither creature seemed prepared to swim for it, I guess it came to nothing.

I no longer hear the call or a response, so I guess it is in the data bank as one of those noises not to cause alarm. Or, maybe they are somewhere living happily?

Our first night in residence we were aware of the hum of traffic on I-70. Now that’s incorporated as a no-worry.

My Best Friend has always been tuned into household noises. He could tell when the heat pump switched from electric to gas, or if a faucet dared to drip he knew it and even knew which faucet dripped.

Personally, I am not that sensitive to little noises although the ice maker sounds as if someone dropped an armload of lumber — much noisier than the old fridge — and the drop of cubes startled me between mating calls for the first couple of nights. I prefer to let my BF handle household noises.

Soon the strange new noises will be part of the expected and we will cease to hear them. Seeing may be believing, but I’m sold on all those things I’m hearing!



Liz Ciancone is a retired Tribune-Star reporter. Send e-mail to opinion@tribstar.com.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.