Just Listen

Listen.  Right now, just listen to what is going on around you.


What do you hear?


For many, the initial response is, "Nothing."  And while that may be true at times, I'll bet most of the time there is something happening quietly, or not so quietly.
  
So what do you really hear when you stop and listen?
  
This is what I am hearing:
  
Being summer (July 3rd) and hot, I hear the central air unit kicking on to help cool the house down.  I hear the outside part of the unit as well, because I'm sitting at a table near the back door and the unit is right outside.
  
I also hear a fan circulating the air in the living room.  It tends to be a bit warmer because we have electronics in there which naturally heat the air merely by being on.
  
I can hear the motor inside the refrigerator, and occasionally the motor of the ice maker as it works to fill the ice container in the freezer. For that matter, I can hear the water running up the tubing for the ice maker.
  
More faintly, I hear the motor of the upright freezer in the pantry off the kitchen.
  
I also hear voices.  My children are talking to each other.  Water is running in the bathroom as someone washes their hands.  Coughing.
  
The rattle of a medicine bottle.  Migraines are not fun, from what I understand.  I'm blessed that I don't suffer from migraines, but my wife and children aren't so lucky.  Perhaps the water I heard running was to fill a glass with water in order to take the medicine.
  
Footsteps.  Bare feet on the tile floor.
  
As I listen more closely, I hear the soft whoosh of the ceiling fans that are on in the house.
  
I can hear my own breathing when I pay attention, and the clicking of the keys as I type.
  
Outside, a cicada starts its song which fades away, only to be answered from farther away by another cicada in another tree.
  
I also hear the attic fan.  This house has two attic fans, which kick on and off depending on how hot the attic gets.  They are a blessing, because this house is able to maintain a reasonable temperature even on a hot day like today.
  
A neighbor has just fired up a lawn mower.
  
All in all, it's a pretty quiet afternoon.  But there are plenty of things to hear when I take the time to just listen.
  
What do you hear when you take the time to listen?