A series of essays….
~RHYTHMIC PULSES FROM INSIDE A WORK OF ART~
THE BANJO PLAYER ~ WILLIAM SYDNEY MOUNT
DATED 1850-55
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
Listen. Close your eyes and really listen to the world around you.
Are you sitting in a public park, walking around in your local mall, having a meal at your favorite restaurant, or reading the morning paper within the familiar confines of your own living room? Where you are truly doesn’t matter! The important thing is that you are listening to the beat of life that surrounds you, in real time.
I have always found joy by listening to what is going on around me. And, when I am in my personal environment, I can be so attuned to my surroundings that an unfamiliar sound will catch my attention almost immediately. It's like an experienced mechanic who takes a customer's car for a drive to listen for inappropriate clanks, rumbles, and squeals over and above any particular complaints the customer might have..
This morning I awoke to the slightly off-balanced clickety-clack of the ceiling fan above me; its rhythm and timing was exceptionally precise. My fingers tapped out its cadence on the folds of the crisp, white bedsheet.
Listen. Close your eyes and listen to the rhythm that surrounds you. What are you hearing right at this very moment?
The sounds around us create the patterns of regular or irregular pulses; familiar and unfamiliar within our daily routine. The battery powered clock clicks its rhythmic pulses as I sit here and type each day. If it were to be taken away right now, would I be able to type at all? A familiar routine can empower us; can persuade us to believe in its creative normalcy, and we are programmed, after a period of time, to expect to function because of its existence. Most likely, we may not even be aware of what’s happening to us.
Ask a person how their day went after having to skip their daily routine at the local coffee shop. You may wonder if their day was compromised because of the timely loss of caffeine or the break in their morning routine. Given time, all of us become, in one form or another, creatures of habit and our 'life rhythm' holds strategic importance to our daily well-being.
When I was young, I became hooked on the National Geographic Specials on television. They took me to places I could only dream about and introduced me to multiple generations, amazing people and lands, different customs, and international flavors — all without having to purchase a ticket to go there. I was hooked! My dear Mother knew it and, somehow, understood that subscribing to the magazine was the right thing to do. I remember that the wonder of the amazing photographs I discovered on the thick, glossy pages nestled between those iconic yellow covers taught me to love photography and all the magical powers of even the simplest of cameras.
It was the rhythmic clicking sounds of the South African bushman tribes that lingered in my mind and made me want to so desperately visit the Continent of Africa — as I still do to this day! Like the guttural sounds of many French words that are produced in the throat and can sound harsh, the Khoisan African languages, I understood, shared click consonants and the people spoke with such a unique sound that it captured my youthful attention and curiosity.
Having read later as an adult about the stylohyoid muscle and digastrique muscle contracting, causing the hyoid bone and the connected glottis to raise, and the forward articulation is held, raising air pressure greatly in the mouth so when the oral articulations separate, there is a dramatic burst of air and even the Adam's apple may be seen moving simultaneously. I couldn’t have been more fascinated.
All this didn't matter to me back then. I just wanted to listen to the clicks and clacks and watch the rhythmic flow of their colorful robes as they danced to the beat made by their staffs being pounded into the dusty, African soil. The clashing sounds of their beaded necklaces and bracelets added to the glorious symphony of delights that thoroughly engulfed my senses. Such a beautiful experience this was and one I will never forget. Perhaps, one day, I will see them in person.
Dan and I are cultivating new rhythms associated with our lives back here in Michigan, over four years after retirement. For now, it’s listening to the crisp, swirling leaves that dance dervish-like in our back yard on a windy autumn's day. It’s the soothing crackle of a roaring fire contained within our stone fireplace on a frosty winter's evening. It can be the tingle of warmth we feel inside our hearts when seeing good friends walking through a spring drizzle coming to say hello and welcome us back home.
I invite you to listen; check all of the senses while you observe the world around you. Delight in the beauty of the rolling hills of an Irish countryside bathed in its many shades of green. Speak to the locals of a small French village in their own language, whenever you can. Walk around the narrow streets of Paris in the evening and listen to the families having dinner; recognize, from an open window, their polite talk and the gentle clash of silver cutlery being maneuvered on hand painted plates. Stroll through an open market and take in all of the aromas the local cuisine has to offer. And, feel the warmth of your lover's skin while you walk hand-in-hand along a cozy Mediterranean beach in the moonlight.
Listen to nature's music playing all around you the next time you take a solitary walk through the forest. Clap your hands and tap your feet as its rhythm sinks into your very being.
You get to decide which beats you wish to follow in your lifetime. But, with a stage as grand and glorious as the world we live in, it may be difficult to narrow the field. Wherever you go and whatever you do, always remember to take a moment to sit back, listen, and appreciate the rhythm of life going on around you.
Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
