Persistent Irritants

I'm sitting in my office at the moment, taking a break from a recording session. For quite some time, I've been working on a new product line (which I hope to announce soon.) The products are audio recordings, which I record sitting at my desk in my office. It has been a long journey with this project, but at long last, I am recording the products, one by one. They are turning out great! I'm excited.

There has been one really interesting barrier to getting these products finished. I'd like to tell you this story.

My office is located in a rather rural area. It is in an 'unincorporated' part of the county, meaning it is outside the city limits of the nearest towns. As a result, small aircraft are allowed to fly over our buildings. People can even learn to fly right over our heads! They don't allow this in more densely populated areas of the county, especially over cities. If the newbie pilot crashes, there is more of a chance of hurting people if they are over population centers.

Well, all summer long I have been working on recording this new set of products, and it never fails. Every single time I sit down to record, the pilots in training appear overhead. They can be quite loud! The sound definitely shows up on the recordings. I find myself having to pause and wait for the most offensive noises to be over (like them practicing rolls or dives over my head!) and then continue with my recording.

I'm taking a recording break at this very moment because, of course, I came to record, got all my equipment set up, recorded the first few lines and presto... the buzzing engine sound showed up, as though on cue to.... give me a little challenge.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so of course I don't want the buzzing sound of an airplane engine in the background of an audio product that I'm creating. I have spent a lot more time and effort on the products because of this 'challenge' than I would have spent if this invasion hadn't existed. It has been very frustrating and at times has caused me to wonder if it's even worth it to continue.

A while back, I was listening to a wonderful audio program by someone i admire and respect. The recordings were part of a large program that I had purchased for quite a lot of money. They are a wonderful product. I had loaded the recordings onto my IPOD and was listening to them while I was working out in the garden one day. I had been thinking about my 'plane problem' earlier that day, wondering if I should try to go into a sound proof recording studio to complete my project. The planes were really getting to me.

As I listened to the purchased audio program, I heard the familiar buzzing of the airplane. "You've GOT to be kidding me!" I thought to myself. "Even out here in the garden listening to something IN MY EARS I can't get any peace from this annoying noise." I shut off my IPOD for a second to see just how loud the plane was at present (and maybe to shake my fist in the air at the pilot!!). The plane noise stopped. I was perplexed. I turned my IPOD back on, and there it was again! I turned off the IPOD and the plane noise stopped. The plane was on the recording that I had purchased!!! Here was a high priced, wonderful product, and the author had the exact same challenge that I was having!

I couldn't help but think that this was a sign for me, that I needed to 'do the best I could' with the recording, and let go of my need for perfection. The exact challenge that I had been having, showed up in a product that I've listened to many times (and never noticed the plane before I might add!) My standards, at times, can be way too high, and can prevent me from actually doing things I want to do.

The other lesson i believe is in this 'plane' issue for me, is that it is so easy to find reasons not to do something. Many times I postponed recording, because I could hear the planes flying overhead. Other times I questioned whether I should even be trying to record these products. It was a convenient excuse to not record... to not give my gift to others.

Sometimes, no matter how persistent the irritations are... we just need to plow on through!

Don't let the 'noise' of life drown out what is yours to do!