A couple of days ago, while driving home, a thought crossed my mind. I was enjoying listening to music, songs that I’ve always sung to while driving and I couldn’t help thinking what if I went deaf? What if I lost any of my senses? How different would my life be? And so, I started thinking about the importance of all five senses in our daily routine. Since I started talking about hearing, I thought I’d like to talk about this sense first.

I can’t believe Beethoven was deaf and composed such beautiful music. I mean, I do believe it, I just don’t think I’d be able to do that.

I guess we don’t pay enough attention to the importance of the senses, but life would be so different it we lost hearing… could you imagine not being able to hear laughter? or cry? or any sound? Silence. That would be all we got. Complete quietness. It is a little worrying, right?

One of my greatest fears has always been forgeting the sound of a particular voice. The voice of someone you love and is no longer by your side. When my Grandfather died, I knew I’d always remember his face, I have a picture in my wallet I can look at every time I want, but what about his voice? I close my eyes and try to remember what he sounded like whenever I’d pick up the phone and he’d say: Zein sorgiña zara? Handia, ertaina ala txikia? (Which witch are you, big, medium or small?). Thanfully, we have tapes to remember what he sounded like.

And I know this may sound selfish, childish or stupid, but I really don’t think I could live without music in my life. That is why I admire Beethoven so much.

So, think about hearing… and open up your ears to hear the beautiful sound of a clock’s tic-tac, the sound of birds singing, the annoying construction machines making a hole next door, or an aeroplane taking off… we’re sorrounded by sounds.

Coming up next: taste.