text: I don’t like noise. For as long as I can remember I have found myself annoyed by them. From abhorrent noises of cars and jackhammers to the subtle ones of droplets and clock hands. Noise has been the endless irritation of my life. It’s not that my ears are sensitive, I just find them to be bothersome. I find it possible that some can understand me, it’s a relatable feeling. To not listen to noises we hate. But I don’t think people understand just how much I really hate noise. I wish I was deaf. I honestly envy them. Unable to hear any noise. *What a fantasy that must be.* I dislike noise so much that I go outside wearing earbuds. Although life hasn’t made it easy. I still have to talk to people, drive my car, go shopping, *and listen to so much more noise.* I work as a librarian. I would think this to be perfect work but it isn’t unfortunately. Whenever I hear someone sneeze, turn the page, move a chair, write, or walk I quietly tell them “Shh”. People don’t understand me. They don’t like me and that’s okay. The more they don’t talk to me the less noise I’ll hear. And that’s all I want really. I just wish they could do a better job at it. I live alone. But it’s not enough to escape from this insanity. So many little things just never seem to go away. The cars from outside, the flicker of my lights, the hum of my air conditioner, the cries of cicadas. I can hear them all and everything else. Living alone just wasn’t enough. I spent the next seven years soundproofing my home. Thick wide carpets everywhere. Curtains hanging on my seal tight windows and cushions doors. And bookshelves on practically every wall, as a librarian I found it easy to fill them with many things over the years. I used every trick I learned to absorb and cancel as much noise as possible both outside and inside my home. I top it off by always wearing noise cancelling earmuffs. It was all very expensive, but very well worth it. I woke up one day like no other, I got out of bed carefully and made my way to the kitchen. I quietly made some tea and began reading the morning paper. At first I was confused about what I was reading. But it didn’t take long for me to notice that I couldn’t hear the paper. “What?” I said to myself. I didn’t hear that either. I began reading even more yet not a single word from the paper sprung into my head. I wondered what was happening to me until I realized. *I couldn’t hear my thoughts.* I know *what* I was thinking and feeling, yet my mind was deaf to it. I sprung up from my chair and screamed at the top of my lungs “IT’S A MIRACLE!” “*Shh*,” was all I heard that morning.