Can you hear something? Of course you can, because it's becoming impossible not to hear something in every single location on the planet but during a holiday in Shropshire, literally 10 mins walk from the bustling centre of a nearby town (Church Stretton) I found this.
The photo above is a heathland that lies just beyond the popular "Take my dog for a massive shit, and ensure that it's placed JUST SO in the middle of the path" woodland around Rectory Woods. We broke through the trees (and managed to avoid the stinky 'land mines') and came across this view, this hilly landscape and the aforementioned silence.
Yeah OK, it wasn't totally silent in the way that a soundproof room would be, there was still a gentle breeze, still the distant sound of adventurous sheep climbing the hills, and still the sounds of swifts darting and tweeting overhead, but there was a distinct lack of 'human' noise. No road noise (surprisingly, considering how close it was to Church Stretton), no aircraft noise, just quiet.
We stopped for a picnic, and you know the phrase "I can't hear myself think" - Well, I could. I could almost hear my internal organs working, I could think with absolute clarity, and could imagine myself living in that nearby town and coming out to this place every day just to relax and mentally detox.
Sadly despite my musings my family didn't share my enthusiasm. Data / wifi was nonexistent, and any notion of moving to Church Stretton was swiftly crushed by my wife, who seems determined to live, exist and probably die within the square mile where she was born and raised (by no means a quiet place, in fact the source of much aural irritation).
But it was nice, that moment where I could hear myself think and experience true peace.
Comments
Post a Comment