Cultural Differences: City Noise

We've been in New York long enough now that we're starting to notice subtle changes in lifestyle that make this place feel so different when you suddenly notice them. The dramatic changes have become daily things and are rarely discussed anymore. So I thought maybe I'd write a blog about the subtleties, but I'm starting to think that I'll write multiple blogs on them. It will be like a new sermon series at church...only not speaking about Jesus...well, maybe sometimes. I don't know if anyone else will think these things are blog-worthy, because they're not a big deal. But I am really learning a lot about myself and about the sub-cultures I've lived among from thinking deeper about seemingly surface level things.

Subtle changes are quite interesting I think. They represent how ingrained a personal culture can become to you without you even realizing it. Things that don't really matter at all that you expect to be the norm. They show our adaptability, because we continue to function as human beings despite these subtle changes, but they also reveal our desire to avoid or embrace change. I think about theoretical culture shocks- a citizen of a developed nation moving to a third world country, or a middle-eastern woman moving to the United States, or even a 1st Century Christian traveling through time to modern day. These people would experience more dramatic changes, but I believe they would all adapt after some time and eventually start to notice the subtle things that make their new lives feel very different from home. They would be thankful for some, and nostalgic about others.

The subtle change I've recently noticed is the background noise of the city. One day it just suddenly seemed eerily quiet outside. I tried to figure out what was missing, and it came to me...helicopters. Here I think there is one helicopter that the one hospital uses, and I think I've seen it in the air once. Big cities have multiple hospitals with multiple helicopters, and then there's also the traffic helicopters, who just fly around looking for car accidents. I didn't grow up in a big city, so when I moved to one for the first time, I subtly noticed how background city noise was unnaturally loud. I also worked in an office that was right under the landing path for DFW airport. It bothered me for about 2 weeks, and then I got accustomed to it and forgot about it.

For me the absence of noise took longer to realize then the realization of added noise. But now that I notice the quietness, in a small way sometimes, I miss the city noise. I have no idea why, and I think the only explanation is because it is what I was used to. What a strange thing to be nostalgic about! In the same way, the natural beauty of this part of New York is incredibly breathtaking, it's a dramatic change that I've welcomed whole-heartedly. Background noise would steal a little of that away. Helicopters and airplanes and honking cars would distract. My nostalgia about something so small and insignificant as city noise makes me wonder how many things that I'm nostalgic about that really don't matter. I'm sure there are platforms that I believe are obvious "norms" to me that are strictly just a product of my personal experience. I'd love to have the wisdom to filter those out and concentrate on the really, truly important.