Quiet

As I type this, I can hear hammers banging and power saws screeching from the house renovation across the street, a couple of leaf blowers whining, the occasional roar of an unmufflered motorcycle driving by, as well as the usual sounds of life in a medium-sized city. It is hard to concentrate on emptying the dishwasher let alone writing a story.

Wouldn’t it be nice to go somewhere quiet? I mean really quiet. There is a nonprofit called Quiet Parks International that is trying to preserve quiet places around the world and bring attention to the negative effects of noise pollution. They have recently certified the very first quiet park in Taiwan called The Cuifeng Lake Circular Trail that winds its way through lush, moss covered forests so quiet, the lowest decibel is only 25, which is considered nearly silent. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to take a stroll through such peaceful beauty right now…

Quiet Parks International gives awards to places like the park in Taiwan so more people can find a quiet place. On their website it states: “For a place in the wilderness to meet QPI’s standards, there can be no more than one audible human-caused sound every 15 minutes.”

Sounds blissful to me. But since I can’t get to Taiwan right now, I am enjoying a nature recrding from their website called Mossy Rain Hoh Rainforest, Olympic Peninsula. I can still hear the construction and evil leaf blowers, but I am envisioning this:

Much more conducive to thinking and writing, no? Go check out Quiet Parks International and enjoy the silence.

https://www.quietparks.org/