People all over the world are avoiding silence. Noise is the drug, and we are the victims. Years ago silence was golden, but in this new age of technology, noise seems to be the latest trend. You can't go anywhere nowadays without having some sort of noise. Libraries, which once were the hot spot of silence, are now drowned out by machine hums and computer typing. Although some may argue that natural noise such as a bird chirping can be silence, therefore allowing silence to be a possible, artificial noise is quickly drowning out all that is natural. People allow this artificial noise because silence feels empty. A certain fear of the unknown, dark, and empty void fills their minds. They try to deflect silence by using various artificial machines and devices to drown it out. Whether it is at home, school, or on vacation, people are avoiding silence as much as possible. .
It's 7:00am and an alarm goes off. Peter hits the alarm on the bedside table, but avoids the off button. He leaves the radio on as he gets ready for work. Peter lives in the city and comes across noise every second of his existence. He exits his building and is bombarded with chatter, static, and bustle of every day city life. Peter hears a nearby street vendor, "Pretzels, get your hot pretzels. Two for a dollar!" Cars honking and people shouting enter through one hear and out the other as he walks. He gets into his car and enters traffic. Peter hates waiting in traffic so he gets out his cell phone and makes a call in order to avoid the near silent experience. Silence to Peter is almost like death. He fears it, loathes it, and avoids it at all costs. Peter works at a construction site welding steel. His hobbies include riding loud vehicles, watching TV, and listening to heavy metal music.
Marcy is twelve and is the seventh grade. She often gets confused with the constant noise in her life. At school everyone is always talking and there is music in the cafeteria.
