The Sound of MemoriesSidetracked Sisters

Gerry & the Pacemakers

Sounds for me are a part of memory making. If I hear a song that was playing when something important happened in my life, it will take me back to that time almost immediately.

The day I first learned to water ski, several of us were sitting on a floating wooden raft at a quiet lake in Northern Wisconsin. The sound I remember was playing on a transistor radio. It was the song “Don’t Let the Sun Catch you Crying” by Jerry and the Pacemakers. I was feeling sad about my family. We had just found out about my sister’s illness. When this song ended, a friend of the family we were visiting came by and asked if we wanted to try water skiing. My interest in this sport broke my sad mood and water skiing became a favorite pastime for me. It helped me feel centered and capable.

I love the sound of thunder in the distance and rain fall on the roof. I’m not wild about storms but the sound of a summer rain with its’ pitter patter and its’ peacefulness helps to relax me.

When I walk in the woods, I enjoy the whisper of the wind in the trees and the feeling of the breeze through my hair. This often combines with the call of the birds and their songs and the chattering of the squirrels. These sounds help me feel close to nature and at peace with the beauty of nature around me.

Riding in the car, I often play old favorite songs that remind me of my days in High School and after. Just being surrounded by this music enables me to go back and remember where I was and what my dreams were at that time.

sounds Currently my favorite sound is that of the waves on the beach of Lake Michigan. Often, it’s coupled with the crackling of a late-night campfire as we gather around the blazing flames to sing, reminisce and tell stories. The sound of the waves continues to lull us to sleep in our snug beds in our family’s awesome cottage.

sounds Children laughing, guitars playing folk tunes, and the soft sound of my family breathing as they sleep and dream. These are sounds I treasure whenever I am blessed to hear them.

There are those times when I have spent the day bombarded with the sounds of people talking, some people arguing, phones ringing and instructions being given to be followed and carried out.

After a day like this, I can be very nurtured by one of my favorite sounds- The sound of silence. I can take a deep breath and feel the silence surrounding me and I feel sane.