As she sat on her front porch sipping on her cup of coffee she heard many sounds. It was raining and the coffee was warming her up as she watched the drops of rain fall. The steady pitter patter of the rain drops was almost hypnotizing to her as she watched the drops fall from the house roof. In a distance was the haunting sound of a train whistle blowing loudly warning people that it was coming close to an intersection. The sound brought back memories of another time and another place. A time when she lived near railroad tracks and when the train would come through how the house would shake and rattle from the vibrations. A time of when in the night you would hear the clickity clack of the train going over the tracks. It was a time when there were struggles everyday to make it through and the finances weren't what they should have been. There were more bills than what the paychecks would cover. All of these things came to mind from the sound of the train whistle and yet this time there was a peace about that train whistle. She no longer has those struggles in her life and yet the train whistle is still haunting.

She recalls another time in her life when she was a teenager and a train whistle could be heard in a distance in the night. She wondered then what it was like to live a life of riding trains and hopping on and off them like so many used to do back then. What was it like to live a life as a hobo not knowing where your next meal was going to be. Or where it would be coming from. Who would feel compassion for you and invite you to a meal or even provide one for you. What would it be like to go days without bathing? What would you do if you got sick? What would happen if you were to meet someone that would change your style of life? Those questions she will never have answers for; yet she still wonders what the answers might be.

Her coffee was almost gone, but still her mind wandered on as the next sound was that of a bird cherping. She could only think of perhaps that bird was thankful for the much needed rain. The melody was so refreshing as she listened to the bird. And the sound of a practicing musician a few houses away could also be heard. School had started and she could almost imagine how much that student wanted to learn to play the instrument. The student would have to scarfice many hours to learn and practice. Then suddenly there was the sound of a cat meowing as if to say let me in I am getting all wet. Then the sound of a dog barking, perhaps telling the cat to shut up. Or could it be that the student playing was hurting the dogs ears? Maybe it was telling the bird to come closer.

It is interesting to see how many things can be heard when we stop long enough from our busy life and just listen. These were just some of the things that she heard while sitting there sipping her coffee. What was the last sound that you remember hearing that brought back memories to you?