Pollution

I had a lovely chat with Genevieve last night. She has finally made it back to France after visiting Adelaide and Germany. Genevieve takes amazing photos but was quick to comment that the ones she was sending me this time weren’t nearly as pretty as the ones she takes in New Zealand. And she was right. Various shades of grey dotted the landscapes rather than the piercing blue skies of our country. We tend to take our stunning environment for granted, but seeing her photos, brought the two countries into contrast. We may lack the architectural beauty of France, but we certainly make up for any shortfalls with our natural environment. At least in these photos we did. I am sure France also has its own share of beautiful spots but also areas of heavy pollution.

But the pollution that is concerning me at the moment is that of noise and again that is not here, but was so prevalent on my recent trip to Australia. Gold Coast is a beautiful city with plenty of bright sunshine, blue skies and rolling ocean, but also heavy traffic and lots of noise. Even the birds were noisy, with the crows cawing out each morning. We weren’t spared from the incessant sounds at night either. The weather was humid, so we tended to keep our window open. Nearby, motorway construction came into full force after dark, and I was often jolted awake by the banging and crashing as monster piles were knocked into the ground. The solution was to shut the window, which I did, and thankfully that eased the situation. But I do worry about the amount of noise my children and grand children are subjected to. It must be affecting each person on some level. My son’s house was way quieter than my daughter’s, which is situated on a busy road, with loud, 24-hour traffic. The noise is constant. And anytime we went anywhere we were subjected to more noise.

The quietness is the thing I have noticed and appreciated most on my return. I know, for my own well-being, I seek frequent solitude. I call it my quiet time. It is easy to find here. My daughter wanted to take us to her sanctuary, a swimming hole up in the hinterland, and would have done so had we not come home earlier than expected. It is a shame when one has to get in a car and drive for almost an hour to find that solitude.

I am sure the constant noise will be interfering with everyone’s energy. Calmness of the environment creates a calmness within and I can only guess that the opposite applies as well. I found the noise tiring, and myself longing for the solitude I am used to.

But maybe it is just that I am a country girl at heart and have lived in the country most of my life. Perhaps city-born people aren’t affected like I am. The noise and busy – ness which this creates are perhaps all these people know and they are fine with it.

But give me the peace any day.