Sounds of the city

As I've mentioned before, I have a bit of a hearing problem. By that I mean, when I went to get my hearing tested about two years ago, the reaction was basically: Holy fuck you can't hear, I'd look into hearing aids.

To which I said, "Hell, no; I'm 20 years old, I'm not getting a hearing aid like some goddamn old person."

So I soldier on.

Anyway I bring that up to tell you a quick story. For a long while, when I was stuck at a red light or cruising through Columbia I would always hear this rhythmic sound, like someone ritualistically banging on a cowbell, but more forceful, and with impeccable timing. Over and over I'd hear this sound, having no idea what it was, or where it came from.

Like many confused souls, I made up my own conclusion. I thought it had something to do with construction. There is always something being constructed in Columbia, so I thought this was like some cement mixer or some way to break down concrete that I don't even know about. I almost was at the point where I was going to accost a construction worker and ask him what the hell that noise was.

Then I figured it out. It's the Walk/Don't Walk things on the side of the streets. They go off when you're supposed to walk, or when you're not supposed to walk, I'm not sure which. It's for blind people, I assume. For years I had no idea. And then one day, not too long ago, I just figured it out somehow. Maybe it was a "good" hearing day (I have those). Now that I know the origin, it is so shockingly obvious that I'm quite embarrassed.

It's like the time I finally put together that George Rogers Blvd. is named after George Rogers (although there was no disability excuse for that, unless you count obliviousness).

And I'm worried, too. How many other sounds do I hear that I completely misplace? I know I can't hear when people talk, sometimes. Most of my friends know about this, and gently chide me about it. But how many other noises out there have I completely mistook for something else? It's scary. Makes me want to get a hearing aid.

Not going to do that, though.