I think my favourite sound is that of a train’s horn in the far distance at 2 am, when all is dark and quiet, and its haunting call reminds me I am not the only one awake. There are few in the houses of many that can’t succumb to sleep’s mercy at that hour, and it’s nice to know there is a mutual voice out there.
I can just see the engineer, pulling the horn’s cord to call out to those who are awake, a voice not just to alert, but to comfort and speak to those who are afraid for waking those around them. He is alone in the car just like those who feel alone in their beds, awake, unsleeping.
This reminds me of the scene in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, where he is in the hotel and can’t sleep. He rises and descends into the hotel’s kitchen to make tea, and speaks of listening to and watching his loved ones asleep in their beds while he is awake, protecting them so to speak.
Why do we stay awake? Why can’t we sleep along with everyone else? Thoughts persevere, creativity takes over, our energy cannot rest. There is something about being awake when everyone else is sleeping, the persistent peace, the bellowing quiet while listening to the subtle sounds you would not normally hear during the day. Something about having the place to yourself without interruptions. Something about listening to their rhythmic breathing that consoles and soothes your spirit.
There is a whole other world out there, one that is desperately yearning to be heard yet wanting silence at the same time. We love the silence yet want company from a distance. It’s hard to explain to those who hate the darkness.
3Rebecca Barnes, Dana Bidnall and 1 other3 Comments
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