No Filter, No Problem
No filter, no problem...
Similar to a baby monitor, my bird monitor has a mic dangling outside the window next to the bird feeder. The monitor was my Christmas ask last year. I had hopes of enjoying the sounds of an open window--I love al fresco, plein air, open air but the weather doesn't always permit.
The mic amplifies grateful cheeps and chirping of finches, cardinals, and towhees, and cooing of mourning doves. It also picks up, behind our backyard haven, the motorcycles on Lora Smith Road and the overhead airplanes and helicopters. This morning I flipped on the monitor to the amplified plinging of large raindrops slapping the metal gutters. It put me in mind of
Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor Hangover Scene (https://youtu.be/FPlua9W7H6c).
Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor Hangover Scene (https://youtu.be/FPlua9W7H6c).
Although we get close, it seems nothing quite replicates our natural senses--the way in which our eyes balance color and light; the way our ears filter background noise and hone in on desired sounds. (Apparently, one of the problems with hearing loss and hearing aids is the inability to filter noise.)
Filters help purify and focus, keeping out what we don't want and letting in more of what we do want. Like my favorite, coffee filters.
Then, there's the matter of filtering thoughts and words.
As we age, along with diminished hearing and eyesight, the thought and communication filter also seems to take a hit. Although, no one is quite sure if we mean to say all the things that tumble from our mouths, here are some age-related clues:
As we age, along with diminished hearing and eyesight, the thought and communication filter also seems to take a hit. Although, no one is quite sure if we mean to say all the things that tumble from our mouths, here are some age-related clues:
60s, partial filter--shares quickly before they forget what they are going to say. (You didn't think that one all the way through, did ya?)
70s, incorrect filter--uses terms that mean something entirely different than intended. (Oh man, did you just say that?)
80s, false filter--perfected use of nasty/nice, e. g. Downton Abbey's Dowager Countess. (Yes, you said it, and you meant it, but it somehow doesn't sting as badly coming from someone your age.)
90s, no filter--shares whatever pops into head. (Shaking my head.)
100+ totally unplugged! Yet, we accept just about anything you say and smile because you are still here, chirping like a songbird--music to our ears.
~ LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran
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