Crickets

You know how sometimes people will describe a conversation and end it with, "and there were crickets." Meaning, no one responded or no one had anything to offer. In essence, we use the word crickets as a synonym for silence. Maybe because crickets are like a background noise, when present, and if no one says anything, all you can hear are the songs of the crickets.

Then there are the crickets in my son's room. I don't know where these guys came from but they are full of conversation. I can barely talk to my son in his room when it's dark because it sounds like I'm in a field in the middle of July and I'm surrounded by the echoing and disorienting scream of a choir of crickets. There are literally about 40 of them, and apparently, they have a lot to say. I think this is going to significantly hinder my ability to sleep tonight. I kind of wish I could say something profound to shut them up.