The Whistle
It started with my parents. I'm not sure how, but parents, this is a plea for an explanation. Growing up, our parents would whistle to one another to find each other in public places. As we got older, we responded to it - and eventually learned it - ourselves. One high note, one low note. A simple combination to be heard easily.
Go ahead. Laugh. Guffaw.
But it has been truly helpful. As my parents and siblings will tell you, now, in the comments section. Hint, hint.
Comments
Go figure: And the interval is a perfect 5th.
I also have to confess, for the music major and musician extrordinaire that I should be, I can't whistle very well or very loud. So its usefulness is, well, lost on me. Oh well. Mendon uses it (constantly) nonetheless.
Posted by: Kristen | July 25, 2006 12:00 AM
We have been doing it for so long I cannot remember who started doing it, me or Mommy. It has been , and still is our way of locating each other in stores and other places where one loses sight of the other. A perfect fifth huh? I don't even know what that is. Length of time from one note to the next? Kewl....
Posted by: papa D | July 25, 2006 2:14 AM
Explaination? What is there to explain? We use it to locate each other when separated. That simple. Daddy is the one who suggested it. I think we were in the grocery store (Kroger, if I remember correctly) and we were going to go in different directions to split the list and go faster. I asked how we would find each other and Daddy came up with the whistle. It works just fine, except I heard someone else using it the other day. I knew it wasn't Daddy because he wasn't with me, but it still made me turn my head.
Posted by: ma | July 25, 2006 5:04 AM
A perfect fifth is a specific interval. It's the one that we hear in Swing Low of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." But that's only from the higher note lower. The interval goes both ways (low to high, high to low).
On a side note, Papa D, you were in one of my dreams last night - it was a scary one - but you were getting mighty angry at the bad guys and keeping me safe. So, thank you!
Posted by: Kristen | July 25, 2006 5:15 AM
and i always thought my parents were weird .... what a relief! yep, they have a whistle too .... can hear each other from a mile away! unfortunatly, i just don't know how to whistle ... it's sad really :(
Posted by: sahar | July 26, 2006 4:55 AM
Yay, Sahar, you just made my day!!! I hope all is well with you :-)
Posted by: Mara | July 26, 2006 11:39 AM
Dude! I'm sooooo jealous! I want a whistle. My parents just call our names... It works fine for me (there aren't all that many Krisias about) but it's gotta suck for my little sis, Melissa....
Posted by: krisia | July 26, 2006 8:24 PM
mara joon this is the first time i have been able to post a comment on your blog!!! strangely enough, each time in the past i get an error message :(
say hi to mark please! :)
Posted by: sahar | July 27, 2006 12:02 AM
Sorry, Sahar - my blog doesn't like elipsis points (. . .)[it works better if you have a space between each one] and stuff like that - in order to try to keep away the creepies :-)
Posted by: Mara | July 27, 2006 1:44 AM
Eric is playing a game with that whistle in it - and it totally throws me. I also find that I hear it in stores. It's a fun little echo location game. Ma and I used it in Wal Mart last time I visited.
Posted by: Rae | July 29, 2006 9:46 AM