A sign in the Pleasant Valley Library kids area got my attention two weeks ago (of course I took a picture). “Be kind. Use inside voices, play safe, and make the library fun for everyone.” I welcomed the reminder to subdue (American English quiet, British quieten) talk when visiting a library. I learned it in my youth at the old library in downtown Salt Lake City, like a sacred space. Now I practice it in my old age as I frequently visit the main library on Jefferson Ave in Ogden Utah. Naturally my wife Kay’s angelic voice would be welcome anywhere. “(of a person) exceptionally beautiful, innocent, or kind” — definition from Oxford Languages
Patrons in temples are encouraged to use reverent, “inside voices” appropriate for that sacred space; whispering is sweet. A UTA recording routinely reminds FrontRunner riders to keep conversation volume low in that “shared space.” It would also be nice to remember restaurants, theaters, and symphony concert auditoriums are shared with some folks with sensitive hearing like mine (impossible to avoid eavesdropping). On the other hand, young voices I hear inside public places like the new Marshall N. White Community Center (sport courts, pool, party rooms) are good to hear at high volume.
The world we live in together — it’s small, after all.
