Trains, Trips, Vibrations and Zen

My visitor center desk offers a unique view among national parks.  Sitting at the desk, I can look out and watch people picnicking, playing and relaxing on the park grounds, while in the distance the ginormous Mexican flag blows in the breeze over Ciudad Juarez.  I can watch the hundreds of people crossing back and forth over the Bridge of the Americas and through the park.  On beautiful sunny cool days, like today, we like to open up the doors, air the place out and let the breeze come in.  Other things come in as well; some flying insects, visitors, and the sound of the border-rail train.  Today I was listening to the train's whistle and it conjured up tons of traveling images/memories in my mind.

floating the Comal with my brother and mom - I may look calm and relaxed but I was always a bundle of nerves on the water.  Just waiting for something to bite me on the butt, or brush by my leg - anything that might kill me or shock me to death.

Whenever I hear a train whistle, I always get a little melancholy, a little nostalgic and a little antsy to plan my next road trip.  Why?  I think it has something to do with a memory of the train that runs around New Braunfels, TX.  Every evening, my middle school best friend and I would hang at the playground of the resort we vacationed at each summer.  We would swing in the breeze, listening to the sounds of the river that ran all around us and, occasionally, the train would whistle as it made its way through town.  Those evenings were so carefree.  Two young girls on vacation, skin still sun-warmed from floating on the river all day.  (Ugh, does anyone else miss summer?  Not summer the season, Summer the time of no school and no responsibilities.  I think we'd be better as a society if adults had some Summer.)

ah summer... Jen and I floating the river

teenage girls do NOT want to hang with their dad.  However, mine is cool, so we let him in the photo.  -)

Anyway, back to my melancholic ramblings...  I believe there is some science behind feeling pensive or melancholy when hearing a train whistle.  See, most freight trains whistle in minor chords.  (Have I mentioned that I was a band nerd?  No, well get ready!)  Minor chords are responsible for the creepy, the sad, the moodier feelings we humans can experience.  The motion picture industry knows this and uses it to their advantage.  The Orphanage wouldn't have made me cry scared-tears without the kick-ass mood music it used.  We are surrounded constantly by music that is specifically designed to make us do something, to feel something.  Ever wonder why you sometimes buy something that you later realize you don't like?  Chances are you, or the subconscious you, liked the music playing in the store.  So, you see, we are naturally tuned to feel certain things when we hear minor chords.  But why do we feel what we feel?

I think it has something to do with sound vibrations and what they do to us internally.  Certain sound vibrations will match our nerve vibrations and we interpret them as pleasing and happy.  Others do not match our own vibrations, causing a discord, and we interpret these as sad, creepy or unhappy, etc. 

(This same idea can be applied to colors and I fully believe this is why I love red-rock Utah so much!  My body is in tune with the reds and makes me feel at home.)  We are under constant barrage of vibration information from sounds, light waves, electromagnetic fields, etc.  So basically go find a place where you feel happy and stay there, or try to recreate it at home.

Me, loving my red rocks, hanging on top of a 3,000 ft drop.

I'm sure there are tons of articles on the internet regarding sound waves and their effects on moods but I'm not going to search for them all!  I have better things to do, like watch this 40 minute video of soothing music mixed with nature sounds and natural scenes.  Its as narcotic as an entire bottle of Tylenol PM.  Enjoy this moment, or hour, of zen.  I need to start brainstorming my next trip.