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A grill-out chat about engine noise shifted how I explain things
We were cooking burgers and a buddy mentioned his fear of weird plane sounds. I started to list all the normal creaks and groans, but he looked totally lost. It dawned on me that what's everyday for us sounds like danger to others. Now I just say 'most sounds have a simple fix' unless they ask more. Kind of funny how that works, huh?
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charlie_allen7mo ago
It's a good reminder that our own normal can sound scary to someone new. You probably saved him a lot of worry with that simple line.
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parkerb237mo ago
Man, you're right, @charlie_allen. I see this all the time. Like when a mechanic starts listing every tiny sound a car makes, it just freaks you out. But to them, it's just Tuesday. Or a nurse casually talking about a weird rash over dinner. It's all about knowing when to translate your normal for the person who isn't living in it.
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ben_hernandez7mo ago
Ever notice how people just need to hear "that's usually nothing" first? I do the same thing when a client hears a weird house noise, like @charlie_allen said, you gotta translate your normal. I'll name one simple cause, like the water heater ticking, and only go deeper if they ask. It stops the panic before it starts.
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