I don’t normally talk about events at work on this blog, but I thought this was a good reflection of my chronically sleep-deprived state. As I worked on a note in clinic, I heard a baby screaming in the background. I assumed it was a patient who had a brought a small child into the waiting room. The noise persisted, so I commented to the nurse, “Wow, someone is really screaming out there,” internally sympathizing with the poor parent who was no doubt trying in vain to comfort their young one. I was surprised to hear the nurse’s response. “What screaming?” she asked. As someone who is always wondering if years of iPod use have caused irreversible damage to his auditory system, I was puzzled. Surely I was not the only one who heard this noise.

“Oh that,” she continued. “That’s not someone screaming. That’s the electric paper towel dispenser in the bathroom.” I had almost certainly heard the sound before, but my brain interpreted it differently now. After a good chuckle was had at my expense, I continued my work and refrained from further comments about ambient sounds.