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Saturday, May 15, 2010

The Sound of Silence


My new favorite song is The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel.
I haven't seen The Graduate, for which the song is a soundtrack for eons, but when I do it always fills me with a feeling of immense possibility in a world bound up with restraints. Do people really burst into churches and save the girl at the altar, fight off irate family members with a large cross and escape on public transport?
Well maybe not the last part in this area. The plot would rapidly unravel as they waited two hours at the bus stop.
When The Graduate was released in December 1967, I was only slightly older than my son is now.
I assume my parents also came to appreciate the sound of silence.
After three hours of screaming which a large bottle of formula, a diaper change and a pacifier (I apologize for the use of two American terms) failed to quell this morning, I found myself looking in vain for a bus to throw myself under.
The warm glow of a happy day in Richmond on Friday free from Jackson's squeals was beginning to subside, but I kept the feeling within to calm me.
Then in desperation I resorted to the vacuum cleaner and started on the stairs detail that I have postponed for a couple of weeks, telling my wife I couldn't find the attachment.
That was indeed true, although I am not a good looker as evidenced by my regular appearances in unmatching socks.
Strangely enough the nearby hum of the vacuum cleaner did somthing no amount of bottles could achive. When I returned to the bedroom a small miracle had taken place and Jackson's eyes were closed.
Hopefully for long enough to complete this blog.

3 comments:

  1. Ah, white noise comes to the rescue yet again. :) I hadn't considered before the suicide-reducing effects of poorly designed and underfunded public transport systems, David. Here at least the bus will arrive every hour -- then take 30-40 minutes to drop you at the main depot where all the lines converge so you can go in the right direction -- where you will then discover the right bus has just left and won't return for another hour. Sigh. Oh, and everything only runs from 6:00 to 6:00, clearly the most convenient hours. ;)

    Sending you sympathy for the newborn woes...

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  2. Oh, and which were the American terms? Diaper and pacifier, maybe? What are they in British-speak?

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  3. Nappies and dummy tit or paci...

    When in America do as [speak as Americans]..

    Love Simon and Garfunkel too.. great song.

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