1st So Much Noise

Modern life is just so noisy. Sirens, barking dogs, phone notifications, blaring music, streaming videos, and video games are just some of the constant sounds that make up a normal day. And, these noises are constant background noise that we just can’t escape. In fact, we can feel uncomfortable when we do get rare times of relative silence. In these times, we might reach for our phones, just so we can hear something. I can say that I never really noticed all that much before going completely blind. However, now that my world relies so much on audio sources, like my VoiceOver screen reader on my phone and computer, and audiobooks and podcasts for entertainment, I’m coming to realize that the noise is just too much sometimes. I find myself craving silence when I might normally be listening to a book. I put my phone down and just listen to the world around me sometimes, just to be able to hear my own thoughts. It is an interesting realization to think that the one sense that I am now so dependent on, my hearing, gets tired of, you know, hearing things.

What can be done about it? Unfortunately, there is not much I can do. Without vision, my ears are how I can engage with the world and I truly do not want to withdraw any further from all that is happening around me. But, I do think that this is serving as motivation to keep practicing and learning braille. As I improve my Braille literacy, I think I will be able to read more without sound, just with my sense of touch. While I may never be as fast as I used to be, when reading with my eyes, it will be a pleasure regardless. And that just sounds good to me.