Selective deafness or more correctly selective hearing is the ability to ignore background noises in order to concentrate on those sounds that are more important. Mine comes in the form of filtering out all the sounds of the various modes of transportation going on around me.
My house is on a direct flight path to the airport so airborne vehicles fly over many times a day such as this military helicopter.
Or this commercial airliner.
A few streets away trains come and go blowing their whistles at every road crossing. Add to this the busy highway close by and the city buses whose hydrolic brakes make a great whoosh of air every time they stop and you have plenty of noise. But this noise is so everyday and commonplace to me that I often do not register the sounds.
I am more likely to take notice of the unexpected sounds such as the two cats that are fighting in the yard behind me. The howling of the pack of coyotes that live a few miles away. I live in a world of sound. In the morning I will hear the call of the cardinals, bluejays, robins, doves, and sparrows as they all announce their territories. But the first thing I will hear in the morning will be Max the dog telling me it is time I got up and got his breakfast.
Live long and prosper
