Growing up in an old-fashioned household that took the old saying "children might be seen but should not be heard" to a whole new level, I learned how to be extremely stealthy at a very early age.
In service of avoiding a sudden and very loud "passing thunderstorm" from my dad, or a 30-minute lecture on "the wrongdoings of little boys" from my mother, I soon enough learned where every squeaky floorboard was, where every noisy door was, the location of every loud door handle that would latch to with a big click. I also learned how to take off my shoes or slippers 9at least any that would betray my presence with noise), and just to move around in my socks, so as to not make a sound.
In essence, I learned how to be a shadow that glided silently from one point to another largely unnoticed.
During my adult life that has been rather unnerving for other people, because I grew up to be about 6'4" tall and 250lbs and I still tend to move around like a shadow. In fact, I'm a lot quieter than my 5'7" 130lb daughter.
Although I often get accused of "trying to sneak up on people," I actually am never trying to do that. I just move in such a way that it doesn't make much of a sound.
Later — during my soul searching years — I realized that I still move quietly when I am by myself; it's not just for the benefit of other people. In other words, I came to understand that it is not "old programming" that keeps me very quiet, it is an actual personal preference.
The Universe is not without a sense of humor!
Truth is, I really just don't like LOUD.
Loud — whether it's music, power equipment, people's voices or jet engines — feels pretty much like someone is throwing sharp daggers at my ears, and subsequently at my brain and at my very soul. Hence I have always gone to considerable lengths to choose quiet places and activities for myself.
What surprises me is the extent to which that seems to be at odds with what most the the general world prefers... particularly evident during my younger years.
Perhaps it was expressed best by a young woman I dated for a very short while, back in college... who said "if there isn't noise and activity around me, I'm not even sure whether I'm still ALIVE!"
Needless to say, we were not a good fit!
In the decades of my adult life, I have often had people tell me that my parents were "abusive" for making me feel like I had to be quiet, all the time. The truth be known, I never actually felt any great inclination to run around and make a bunch of noise, as a kid... and I certainly haven't felt it, as an adult.
Which begs the question of whether forbidding something the targeted person wouldn't likely do in the first place can actually be construed as "abusive."
I guess it's human nature. People "look in" on situations with their own perspective, and disregard whether the situation actually suited the person in question.
All in all, I am pretty happy with being stealthy, and I am deinitely not trying to sneak up on people!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your weekend!
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Created at 2025.04.12 23:25 PDT
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