Favorite Sound?

Many, many, many, moons ago, I was attending an educational training. Our group gathered in a circle as the instructor cued up the awareness exercise. It was part of the larger focus to bring more awareness and connection to our 5 (actually 6+) senses. We were prompted to verbalize our favorite entity in each sensory category: smell, touch, etcetera.

Appropriate footnote: asking me to name just one favorite element of anything is like asking me to choose just one flavor of ice cream, one favorite song in a music catalog, one favorite flower in the garden or singling out one favorite star in the night sky - nearly impossible and like a squeezebox on my brain and heart. But alas, I was in it now! 

Here begins the inner dialogue pep talk: ‘Relax, you’ve got this.’ For sure, this internal chat and self coaching was real adulting.

As we swept around the circle, sharing our favorite smell, our favorite taste and so on, I remained on the straight and narrow, yielding in determination to supply the partial truth in a one word answer - although every fiber of my being was wiggling in desire to be more expressive in this inquiry. Simultaneously, I stood astonished by my cohorts’ ability to give voice to the singular with what appeared to be sans an ounce of angst. I marveled at the conciseness unfolding before me.

Then came the sound! “Name your favorite sound,” said the human. Mind you, I was on the last third of the circle and my wily ‘lil brain had oodles of time to experience the full display fireworks going off in my head when this invitation presented.

My turn landed and in one breath my mouth exploded: windchimes, children’s laughter, my husband’s voice, rhythmic drum beats, waterfalls, ocean waves. Sensing great displeasure from the instructor I ceased my list prematurely. Loaded in my next breath was a half dozen more favorite sounds: autumn winds rustling the treetops, the call of a hawk soaring overhead, the whisper of I love you, the opening of almost any Led Zeppelin song, raindrops splattering a window, the quietude of a snowfall, the booming girdling sound of thunder, the humming birds visiting my Mojo Garden. Putting the facilitator’s ‘you broke the rule’ glare aside and the literal swallowing of my enthusiasm, I felt some relief. Relief from releasing the pressure of the singular. A favorite sound? Alas, choosing one felt futile, limiting and dishonest.

When our circle exercise extinguished, my mind set evidently concluded that on this dynamic, magical, exceptionally gorgeous planet flying through the cosmos, that our extraordinary human-design is too fabulous to experience in a limited capacity. We are meant to feel, touch, see(witness), smell, hear and experience the fullness of our being. How phenomenal we are in our capacity and totality.

So, can I dive into one sustained note? Yes - and it can be quite delicious. Can I dive into a symphony of sound? Yes, please - carry me away. Do I need to choose between the two? Nah.

My being loves sound, loves experiencing my varied senses that colors my world, loves tuning into them, loves exploring them and learning from them, loves sensations, loves discovering new textures and experiencing the endless moods that they serve. We are wildly fascinating creatures in a vast swirling universe. I intend to soak it in with full awareness and appreciation - including those sweet moments of silence. ~Kristi Lee

“Human emotions are notes on a scale…each one has sound…smothering or burying that sound will only make the hum inside of you unbearable.” ~Toni Sorenson

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