We fear silence.
Remember life as a child? Remember night time? Noises that were hidden by the din of the day were ushered to the forefront of our audible awareness. And we became terrified. Creaking was certainly a boogie-man approaching our bed with very bad intentions. A shadow in the corner was a sinister killer’s sure hiding space. The sound of voices from the darkness outside was assuredly burglars plotting their best entrance point. A shirt laying oddly on a dresser and blowing gently under the influence of a summertime fan was a snake or a spider or a murderous thug, depending on just how tired we were.
We became terrified.
We are no less paranoid as adults. We use the TV, music, or even Sounds of the Ocean Tide soundtracks (you know who you are) to help us drown out the silence. We seek to stay entertained at all costs, engaged no matter what the circumstance. We dread being home alone with nothing to do, lest we actually be forced to listen to the voices in our heads.
Why do we fear the silence? And what did you fear in your childhood? Boogie-men, monsters in the closet or under the bed?
Definitely had issues with clothes. With no sounds to distract, the over-active parts of my brain were allowed to focus on imaginary sights.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I would forget to close my closet doors every night...and just in case those hanging pants were actually a killer (it looked so real!!), there was no way I was getting out of bed to slam the doors shut on him
-KB.
I too, was a door slammer. But I always, tried to keep the door halfway open. Odd, yes but that's what made feel safe. In lst grade I was terrified of the Phantom of the Opera.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of that Pink song "the quiet scares me because it screams the truth." (Why I know a Pink song? I have no idea.)
ReplyDeleteI can only think when it's quiet, so am constantly turning off electronics. :-)
Jacqui
I'm more scared that my wife is quoting Pink than any boogie man notions...
ReplyDelete