Friday, March 12, 2010

Train song

As I write this, it is very early morning in East Tennessee and I hear the northbound train approaching.  The last several days have been damp and overcast and that causes fog to creep overnight across the Tennessee Valley.  Fog, in turn, causes the sound of the train whistle and the train's passage along the tracks to carry more loudly across the hills and valleys.  Having lived a great part of my life in East Tennessee, the sound of trains has always been a constant.  Similar to how we can be lulled to sleep or calmed by the sound of rain, or a thunderstorm, so do the sound of trains rumbling, roaring and whistling down the tracks soothe those who have grown up with them always present.

I took this sound, this presence, for granted until I spent time in a city - Tampa, Florida to be specific - where trains weren't evident.  I never did figure out this puzzle while I lived in Tampa; there were certainly train tracks around and about the city, but I never once heard or saw trains traveling.  What I can report is that it took me almost a full month of living there before I finally realized part of my night time restlessness wasn't all due to being in a new city, new dwelling and new surroundings. It was actually greatly due to the fact that I wasn't hearing the familiar, comforting sound of trains traveling during the wee hours of the morning. 

Once I did identify the source, I began to ask people in Tampa about the absence of trains in and around the city.  I received puzzled looks and no ready answers as to why there were train tracks everywhere, but no trains visible.  All I can say for certain is that it took me a good stretch of time to adjust to sleeping without the soothing sounds of far-off trains rolling along the tracks, and the occasional train whistle echoing and bouncing along the hills.  Tampa doesn't have hills for the sounds to reverberate and echo across, so perhaps this is one reason I never heard the sounds the way I was accustomed to hearing in East Tennessee.

I have read of many people who have had near death experiences saying that they drifted from their bodies and went into an area that resembled a huge, limitless train station.  Other people who have lived through tornadoes and hurricanes report that the sounds of the worst of the weather manifesting sounded eerily like a train running directly overhead.  Years ago, I stumbled across an obscure book written by a hospice nurse who mentioned many of her patients who were slowly approaching death who mentioned hearing a train approaching from far away.  I apologize for not remembering the name of this book, or the name of the author, but this woman reported this mention of a train approaching to be a common theme amongst many hospice patients. 

It makes one ponder the train reference, the train station as a staging area for crossing over.  Perhaps our Souls recognize something inherent to the concept of a train approaching that beckons us to release from the physical body, step onto that mystical and spiritual manifestation and continue the journey to the other side of the Veil.

Trains do indicate travel, and before air flight was accomplished, trains were the epitome of power, wealth, commerce and a literal ticket to the far flung, exotic, mysterious corners of the Earth.  Distant and varied travel was possible, taking you as far as the train tracks lead.  Perhaps it isn't that difficult a stretch to embrace that trains could also represent a mystical form of travel for the Spirit. 

Here in my area, trains run day and night.  To someone living in an area where trains aren't prevalent, that might sound horribly noisy and invasive.  I am not describing endless activity; the trains run on schedules throughout the week and become a backdrop to our daily lives.  To me, it isn't noisy.  For the most part, it is similar to a clock in your home that you become so accustomed to that you rarely consciously hear the tick-tock sounds. Indeed, in the wee hours of the early morning, as I write this post, the sound of the northbound train is gentle, reassuring, and in its own way, quite majestic. 

Perhaps the echoes of a train thundering along the track mimics in some manner a heartbeat, reminding us of our time in the womb.  There is a rhythmic cadence as train wheels rattle and roar along the tracks.  One close girlfriend has such a trained ear for the local train schedules that she can tell which direction a given train is traveling, simply from the sound of the whistle as the train approaches.  I bow to her accuracy, because she really is incredible with this talent.  That repetitive thundering sound could remind our Soul of a sort of homecoming, a welcoming portal to traverse from here to the Unknown There, the sure sound embracing us and wrapping around our senses.

For myself, the sounds of the trains each night are a lullaby that makes me smile and ushers me more deeply into sleep.  The deep, smoky belltones of the whistle echoing across the Tennessee Valley rarely truly awaken me; it is more of a background reassurance that all is well.  If I am having a night of fitful sleep, quite often the sounds of a train in the distance will relax me and help me drop off to deep slumber. 

Much like an old friend, the song of the weekly scheduled train runs become so familiar to us that, were they to suddenly cease their normal schedule, we would become abruptly aware of the lack.  As would the sudden cessation of that clock in the room, we would wonder why the wee hours of the night had suddenly grown so unusually quiet.  Perhaps we would awaken and wonder at the strange lack of sound, not quite sure what was missing.  I, for one, would be saddened to live in a world where there were no trains rumbling along the tracks, no piercing train whistles splitting the damp night air to travel, echoing their unique song across the hills. 

It is a curiously gentle presence, the night train calling out.  Distant, yet imposing as its inexorable rush onward is repeated week by week, year by year, imprinting in our memories with sound and vibration.  This moment, this wee hour of the night that is slowly releasing darkness to dawn, the sounds of the train trekking northward inspire words to flow, to give voice to a sinuous, fluid trail of thought that mimics the journey of that train charging out into the distance. 

In a moment, I will surrender to sleep, lulled by that soporific rumble....my heart and breath unconsciously matching the rhythm of the faraway rails being ridden by the Iron Horse of yesteryear.  That curious anomaly of a bygone era remains an active, modern presence and continues to weave into the minds and hearts of those gifted with vision to dream, to hear a unique Industrial Age melody wailing through the night air. 

This is a jumble of perhaps not very well connected or elaborated ruminations about trains.  Perhaps I will let it rest as I surrender to the arms of Morpheus myself, and return to it anon, to read through with more clear mind and judge whether it is worthy of posting or abandoning.  The train rolls on in the distance and I am pulled to sleep....

...and the following night, I have returned, read through these thoughts, and deemed them strong enough to stand. Jumbled and disconnected though they may be, I shall publish them.  Another train calls out its song in the distance, this one southward bound, rushing into the dark to grace the mountains with its chant along the tracks, its whistle smoky and drifting out through the night.  That is the interconnecting thread, the train song that trills ever onward.

27 comments:

  1. I have a busy train track about 1/4 mile from my house and enjoy listening to the train late nite. for those who don't know It is a very relaxing sound that never tires!!

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  2. Lovely! Makes me wish there was a track behind our house! - Peace, Pamela

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  3. D and Pamela, thank you for sharing my Train Song thoughts! Even now, I hear the southbound train rolling along the tracks - it is still raining tonight in Knoxville, and the sounds echo even more through the damp air. To my ears, it is lovely, and I am glad you both enjoyed the post!

    ~ Dawn

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  4. We lived near a train track when I was a child, near a station so that when the trains passed our house, they were slowing down on their approach to the station or just slowly pulling away from the station, so that I was able to wave to the conductors on the caboose at the back of the trains.
    I love trains and visit train museums whenever I run across them and take train rides whenever I am able, even if it is just in an amusement park.
    I hope we are going to move forward in this country with bringing back train travel, we used to be able to travel coast to coast by train, and now we could have high speed travel as they do in Asia and Europe. I hope so.
    Thank you for this reminder.

    Aine
    http://theevolvingspirit.blogspot.com

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  5. Aine, my paternal Grandmother's house backed up to the railroad tracks. When we visited her house, we always hoped the train would be passing through town. Waving at the conductor and the men in the caboose was the highlight of the visit! And bless them, those men always took time as they passed by to smile and wave back at us - such a simple thing that delights wee children the world wide. There's just something magical (there's the word again!) about trains, isn't there?!

    ~ Dawn

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  6. Across the river from us there is a very busy set of train tracks. They run East from the Port of Seattle and the Port of Everett. Next to my desk is a small shelf unit my printer sits on. In the mornings as I'm at my computer I watch the shelf sway back and forth to the motion of the train, each one is easily 100+ cars long. Because of the river, and living in the Vally on the opposite bank as the train tracks, the land moves. At night I am literally rocked to sleep by the motion and the sound of the train.
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and memories!

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  7. Yvonne, what an ideal location you're in! I can close my eyes and just imagine it and the way the trains vibrate their energy throughout your home. Absolute bliss! Thank you, in return, for sharing a glimpse into your world.

    ~ Dawn

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  8. That was beautiful! Everything detail you described made me feel as if I was there with you in East Tennessee. Such sweet memories of your childhood that you are still able to enjoy even today.
    It brought back some "train memories" of when I lived in Chattanooga. We would be stopped at a train track waiting for us to be able and cross over, and as a child I loved waiting for the red caboose, the one that follows or brings up the rear. It is there we would start to do our waves to the man with the hat on, and he would always be smiling and waving back.

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  9. Cstackable energy cars, they rhythm is like our heart beat and the whistle calls us to what could be, what is and what was. As a child my mother kept asking me why I would go outside at night about the same time. I wanted to hear the train. She told me that my grandfather, her father who passed away when she was nine, was a railman. One night, standing there, she came out and joined me. Only the train whistle blew. I had forgotten that til you wrote this. You have given me a beautiful, precious gift.

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  10. Jane, yes, it's the caboose at the end of the train - I think that all children love waving at the men at the end of the line. I know Chattanooga is a huge train hub, so I imagine it was a wonderful place to spend your childhood.

    Beth, it's fascinating how memories trigger for us that have been tucked away for years. A random blog can uncover so much for us - yet another gift of discovery that blogging gives each of us.

    Thank you both for spending time with me.

    ~ Dawn

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  11. Evokes fond memories of my childhood. I liked your photos, but you described the scenes so well none were needed!

    Chip

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  12. That is a wonderful compliment, Chip! I do strive to paint a mental image with words when I write, so it makes me happy when people tell me I've achieved that goal. It is interesting how trains seem to be such a strong childhood bonding memory for so many of us. Thank you for visiting today, my friend.

    ~ Dawn

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  13. It's amazing sometimes how we not only grow used to loud noises sometimes, but they also just become a part of our lives that we don't even think about it. I, too, had a train track just a couple of blocks away that I heard every night when I was a kid.

    Closer to today, when I lived in the Chicago area, I had two very similar situations. First, I lived in Bensenville, which is right next to O'Hare airport. I got so used to the sound of planes taking off that it was weird not to hear them. I had a friend stay with me before I took her to the airport the next day, and she commented on it the next morning, wondering how I could ever get to sleep with that racket.

    Then I moved to Lombard and had the train track where the commuter trains heading downtown passed by quite regularly. Again, that noise just became a thread in the musical tapestry of my life, eventually unnoticed until it was no longer part of it.

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  14. Dave, I loved your comment, "the musical tapestry of my life"! That's beautiful and so apropo - I think that's what comprises our lives. Different threads, colors, textures, tones, from people, places, experiences that create the fabric that is uniquely ours. Thank you for the great comment!

    ~ Dawn

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  15. Thanks for your encouragement today.

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  16. Les, you're very welcome! I hope you enjoy being a part of the Authentic Blogger community. Thank you, in return, for visiting my blog and saying Hello.

    ~ Dawn

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  17. I have always loved the sound of trains at night. It reminds me of my childhood, when I listened to them from my Grandma's window. I have never thought about how wonderful the sounds of trains are; I have just taken them for granted. Wonderful post!

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  18. We are very familiar with the trains! Our house is within a 1/4 of tracks. During the winter we can actually see the trains moving along on the tracks but with the trees full in the summer we don't see them. We also lived in a place in KY that was within a few hundred yards of the train tracks....we've gotten very use the the sound & even with the windows open they rarely disturb us. Thanks for your thoughts.

    Hugs,

    Bill

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  19. Molly & Bill, glad you both enjoyed the article. It looks like there's plenty of train lovers out there, and that train sounds are an intrinsic part of childhood/feel good memories for so many of us. It's nice to hear other peoples' impressions and happy connections. Thank you both for visiting today.

    ~ Dawn

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  20. As I read this late at night, I couldn't help but wish there was a train nearby that I could hear.

    I especially loved the part where you mentioned the noise of a train is heard when people are passing from this life into another. I can only hope that when it's my time to go, I too will hear a train coming for me... And as it lulls me to sleep, I will hear the train song, sweet and special, as the train carries me home.

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  21. Marty, I have come across that very reference over and over throughout the years, that of a train approaching for a person who is on the verge of crossing over into the Afterlife. My Grandmother told those around her in the last couple of days of her life that she was in a boat, crossing a river and could see her Mother and several other family members on the shore waiting for her. I guess the form of transportation will differ for each Soul as we make that trip, but I, too, think the train song is a beautiful harbinger of that journey.

    Thank you, my friend, for the lovely comment.

    ~ Dawn

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  22. Interesting analogy. You know somehow I feel it should be different for different people. It is like for some trains can be the symbol of transition, some would walk on foot, and some will just reappear in the other world. Talk about ancient greeks and Styx river and boats. Though, ok, they have not had trains then.

    Maybe it depends on the way we are and our beliefs here. Not sure.

    The Colors Magazine

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  23. Lena, absolutely - I didn't mean this as an absolute for everyone. Everyone has their own interpretations; I was just mentioning one concept regarding trains that I've heard and read often. I don't doubt that interpretations and experiences will vary from person to person, country to country, culture to culture and that's what makes us so fascinating!

    Thanks for visiting & commenting.

    ~ Dawn

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  24. Wonderful! Made me think of my childhood.

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  25. Marla, me too, when I was writing the article! Trains just seem to be an intrinsic part of our lives, and spark those wonderful comfort memories. Thank you for visiting and leaving such a nice comment!

    ~ Dawn

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  26. I love this! True that whenever you hear this song, it reminds us of our childhood years. This is a good topic for everyone. Still a lot of people who doesn't know this song yet and hope this will be shared to them also.

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  27. I must tell you that I love your blog name! With the word 'healing' in my own blog title, of course yours was going to capture my attention. I'm happy that you enjoyed this post & that it brought back those sweet memories for you. It is fascinating to me, how even now in this hectic & technologically advanced world, this blog post seems to trigger happy memories for so many who have read it. I love when I strike a common chord in that manner. Thank you for visiting and taking time to leave such a nice comment. I hope you come back for more visits and reading in the future!

    ~ Dawn

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