Earl and I have different work habits. He likes both the radio and the television on as he hunches over the computer in his office. He likes them loud too. Doesn’t want to miss anything. In fact, if I’m away from the house I’m apt to return and find all three televisions on and turned to the same channel.
Me? I hardly watch television, much less have it as a companion while I work. I listen to the radio only in my car and find solitude the best way to get my work done. Even the chirping of the birds that live in the tree outside my window can be a distraction.
This morning Earl left the house around eight, and since then I’ve been basking in the quietness. The TVs all stare blankly at me. The annoying AOL voice that says “You’ve got mail” is mute. So is the telephone. There are no timers dinging, no dishwasher whooshing, no clothes dryer beeping. Only the occasion sound of warm air escaping from the heating system.
It won’t last, because the man who mows our lawn will be by soon for one last clean-up. He has got to have the loudest equipment and has been known to work directly under my office window when I’m on a conference call or trying to balance a budget. Then I’ll hear the sound of a car radio coming down the street and know that Earl is home.
But for this morning, I’ve truly enjoyed my favorite noise: Silence.
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