Take a step outside your front door and what do you hear?  The joyful laughter of kids at play?  Birds, singing in the trees?  The occasional barking of a dog down the block?  Most likely, the answer is a resounding, “No!”

We humans love our machines.  Gas and electric powered mowers, blowers, trimmers and saws fill most home garages.  And long gone are the days of the self-contained vacuum … now we blast the neighborhood with a garage mounted monster that screams to the neighborhood “I’m a good housekeeper!”  Tying it all together is the constant drone of televisions, radios and computer games running 24-hours a day.  Who have we become?

In bygone days the relative peace of a quiet neighborhood was shattered only by the occasional roar of a treasured Harley or dad’s darling Jeep fired up for a trip to the countryside.  Now, however, we rely upon these resounding vehicles for everyday transportation.

Even docile country landscapes are shattered by the constant din of dirt bikes and ATVs as weekend warriors make their way to the out of doors.  The former calm of rural quietude has been replaced by mechanized entertainment that pollutes the bucolic scenes, churns soil and destroys delicate wildflowers.

But what is all this entertainment doing to our bodies?  Since the advent of rock and roll our hearing has been subjected to abuse at the hands of rock musicians pumping their passion through speakers the size of small cars.  We proudly crowed about the ringing of our ears in exchange for heightened enthusiasm for life … we could feel the blood coursing through our veins, and that was what it was all about, wasn’t it?

In reality, the only people getting rich off our aural excesses are the manufacturers of hearing aids and stress management pharmaceuticals.  Sound spurs the body’s defense mechanisms, which increases blood pressure and stimulates adrenal and nervous response.  The cacophony that assaults our senses every day lines the pockets of the medics and reduces our life span by months or even years.

So how do we turn the tide?  Try turning down the noise.  Pumping out hundreds of decibels of sound requires energy.  Producing the energy to churn that pumping tempo or raspy engine eats up resources and pollutes our delicate environment.

Can’t hear your television over the constant din of conversation?  Step outside.  Give your sensitive eardrums a break and breathe fresh air in a quick walk around the block.  When you reenter the house, take a moment to monitor your senses.  If the television suddenly seems loud enough to be heard a block away, turn it down.  It takes less energy to emit sound at lesser decibels.  By turning down the volume you are not only preserving your hearing, but you reduce your demand on energy resources.

As you travel down the road to work, to school or to the store, turn off the radio or CD and experience the restful sound of tires on the road.  Talk with the kids or lose yourself in your own thoughts.  This is a great time to get in touch with your inner self and reduce your stress level.

If you have a long drive, turn on the radio after 10 minutes on the road.  Set the volume to a level that you can hear, but which does not assault your sensitive eardrums.  The static road noise can be mitigated, but you should still be able to hear your tires on the road and the functioning of the engine.  This alerts you to unusual sounds that should be checked out before they become major problems.

Noise pollution infiltrates every moment of our lives.  Turn down the volume on your own life and enjoy the sweet nothings that fill the void.