The sounds of NYC

I lived in NYC on the upper east side many years ago. I had a tiny apartment with a terrace (gasp) and the entire thing was 500 square feet. It was charming and cozy. Tiny, tiny, tiny. I did not turn on the stove the entire time I lived there. My refrigerator would hold a carton of milk and leftovers from carry out.

Every day I would walk to my office at Clairol/Bristol Meyers at 345 Park Avenue. I lived at 60th and 3rd and my office was at 50th and Park. I loved those walks. So much to see...but the noise! At the time, NYC did not have an ordinance against honking. HONK! The noise was so annoying. HONK! Every time the traffic slowed, the cars would lay on their horns. HONK!

My favorite time of day was Sunday morning at 7am. The city that doesn't sleep, sleeps in on Sunday morning. Yes, a well kept secret, NYC is quiet on Sunday morning. I would pull on a jacket and make my way to the corner to buy the Times. I remember being able to hear the sounds of the businesses sliding open the iron bars that protected their stores. I loved to hear the different languages that the business owners would speak as they greeted their neighbors at the start of the day. I could hear my heels click on the pavement. The swish of the air as it came up from the sidewalk grates. So ordinary, but true New York sounds.

For me, it was a relief. After a week of walking through so much HONKing, the solitude was wonderful...and memorable. When we take the time to notice sounds, we not only hear the sounds, but we seal the memory of a time and place in our memory vault.

My life, so different now. I spend Sunday mornings reading the Chicago Tribune with my husband and the cup of coffee comes out of the carafe in my kitchen (where I do use the stove often). But, I can look back on those days and remember those details because I treasured the rare quiet of an ordinary morning in NYC.

On vacation, we bought my father-in-law a laptop. Our goal was to get him hooked up with Facebook. He spends many hours alone, caring for my mother-in-law who is now bedridden. Long days pass and he is there by her side. We are concerned, because he is withdrawing, sort of pulling away from life.

Our goal was to teach him about Facebook. For me, Facebook has been fantastic. I can't have detailed phone conversations any longer, so a visit to my FB page brings me up to speed with so many people...no hearing required! The sense of connection to my world, my family, my friends, it brings me such joy. I know it can be a "huge waste of time" as Betty White noted, but it is the idle conversations I miss so much. And I know that my Dad-in-law, Ed, does, too.

We got his page up and running, thanks to our in house FB expert, daughter Gracie. Now, he has "friend requests" pouring in. As he sits in the house by himself, he really isn't alone anymore. When we are far away, I have a way of reaching him, even if it is just a few lines. I can tell him that I adore him, that I miss him.

His profile picture has a big smile, that sort of said it all. It really is remarkable, this thing called Facebook. Waste of time? Sure, but for Ed, it will be a lifeline. Just like that day, many years ago, holding hands with granddaughter Gracie...we all need to be in touch, we need to have a sense of connection to people that love us. So, thank you Facebook.... I think you are a great use of time!

I would like to tell you about Mr. and Mrs. Hallberg. Even though I am an adult, with a family of my own, they will always be Mr. and Mrs. I wish there was a better title that would give them more importance.

I love the Hallberg family so much. But today, in this post, it is all about Mr. Hallberg.

Where do I start? Perhaps this will explain my relationship the most. He sat next to me the night we buried my Dad and made me feel safe. He was my father's best friend.

Through the years, I have sat at more family dinners with the Hallbergs than I can count. From the time I was a little girl, it was my second home. We didn't have relatives that lived near, the Hallbergs were our extended family.

Mr. Hallberg is blessed with a beautiful singing voice, a vibrant personality and a spirit that pulls all of us together. His conversation is so interesting, so dynamic. He has a laugh that booms and a smile that warms my heart.

In recent years, he was a bit more subdued. I should have known what was happening. But, I just accepted this change, I loved him no matter what. He wasn't participating in the conversation like he used to, still engaged and interested, but didn't say very much.

Recently, I went to visit the Hallbergs and much of the family was there, too. What a great time we were having as we all sat in the living room. Mr. Hallberg was sitting next to me and pointed to both ears. "Look what I have", he said. Inside his ears were two small hearing aids.

He went on to say "I can hear! I can hear conversations, I can hear the TV, the sounds outside. I was missing so much, I had no idea how much, until I could hear again." My Mr. Hallberg was back and it was all because he was no longer isolated by the lonely quiet that comes with the loss of hearing those you love.

If someone you love is fading a bit, don't blame it on age. Please encourage them to try hearing aids, seek help. Because life is not only about living, it is about listening.

Thanks to Granddaughter Lauren for the beautiful picture!

I have a guinea pig on my grand piano. No, I have not lost my mind. We are babysitting Oreo while her owner is in Europe. Apparently, Oreo has different sounds she makes. My daughter described the sounds, complete with facial expressions.

In the beginning, she had a little growl. She was very unhappy. She makes a little hissing noise when she is fearful. Now she makes a chirp when I bring her cucumbers, her favorite treat. I never knew that these little furry balls have sounds to communicate. Very interesting.

My dog is also very interested in the sounds Oreo makes and since he can't see what is on top of the piano in the cage, he is going a bit nuts.

the galleys are in for the book!

The fed ex truck rolled up and this great looking guy (I think that is a required trait of fed ex drivers?) gets out and hands me this big package. It's the galleys for the book! I am so excited and nearly hug the guy. He left pretty fast, I think he thought I was nuts.

I've never published anything before, so the reality of this beautiful thing is in my hands. Thank you to William Huber, he did an amazing job photographing sounds. The early reviews and endorsements are all so positive.

I loved creating this book. But, I have to tell you that there were some very emotional moments. God, I miss those sounds. When I was compiling the first list, I sat at my computer and I sobbed. It was hard at times, almost like a grieving process. So, the emotions have bounced back and forth between true joy and a deep seated sadness that the sounds are gone. Does that make sense?

Take a few moments and listen to the storm that is coming tomorrow. Listen to the thunder, listen to the first moments when the rain starts to patter on the roof. Close your eyes and listen to all of it and I guarantee, you will remember those moments long after they have passed.

For many years now, I have been the cook at the girl scout camp. My daughter is now one of the "aides" and helps with the younger girls. What is so fantastic is to see hundreds of children and adults all enjoying the week. No cell phones, no mp3 players, no TV, just the sounds of laughing kids and the natural setting around them.

So, for one week, it is like it was years ago, before all the technical gadgets became such a big part of our waking hours. Are we better off? Email is a lifesaver for me, it allows me to communicate with friends and family. So efficient. Texting, once again, great for me, I can "hear" through the messages that most folks would have in a quick phone conversation. The captions on the TV allow me to enjoy a show and not miss content.

But, the quiet. The listening. I ask you...are we better off? I know that it would be a catastrophe if suddenly facebook ended. If cell phones were taken away and computers just weren't available. If we were transported back to a time when it didn't play such a big role in our day. It really wasn't so long ago, was it?

So, I look at the girls and their smiles. At the end of the camp, they are exhausted from all the physical exercise, the campfires, the crafts. It's one week that takes them back to how it once was for kids and gives them a memory that will far outshine anything that they will see on their computer screen.

By the way....in one week, I cook over 400 hot dogs and 30 pounds of ground beef and I enjoy every minute of it.

It is the Fourth of July! Here are some sounds of the holiday that I remember:

The crunch of eating corn on the cob.

The unfurling flag in a breeze.

A roar of the Shriners weird little cars.

The ooh, ahh of the crowds at the fireworks.

and most of all....

the sound of when everyone stands up when our flag passes by in the parade.

Happy Birthday America and God Bless us all.

marsha