100 Sounds To See

Amazing. I could remember sounds by looking at an image. In this case, a picture of a rowboat, created the sound in my mind and a very vivid memory.

It is well known that the sense of smell can bring back memories, that the mind stores the experience and the smell triggers the memory. I think the same could be said for our other senses.

Read on...

It was a very important day at summer camp. All of us were lined up, waiting for our chance to jump in the water and swim around the pier to qualify for the “deep end”. I was ten years old and I wanted so badly to be one of those deep enders. Unfortunately, I was a very poor swimmer, mastering a good dog paddle at best. One by one, the swimmers jumped in and my place in line moved closer to the top.

How my heart pounded and my skinny knees wobbled. On the other side of the pier was a rowboat, slowly rocking against the pillars. This simple, rhythmic sound comforted me, slowed down my heart and quieted my fears.

When my turn came, I jumped in and made the length doing a ridiculous, but determined dog paddle, which proved I could hold my own in deeper waters.

That day was so long ago, more or less forgotten, until I saw this picture. The comforting repetitive sound of a boat bumping against the pier…it all came back to me. Now I can remember this sound I can no longer hear.

It is a simple, yet amazing sound of an ordinary day.

And this is how the book began.

marsha