Hearing church bells in downtown Kirkwood, Missouri adds to the town's ambience, I think. In this town, there's no shortage of them, and I've always liked that. If I'm indoors when they ring, I'll typically pause whatever media I'm watching or hearing. When I'm outdoors, I'll usually wait until the bells finish ringing before going inside. It's like waiting for a comforting song to conclude.
Regardless of one's spiritual beliefs or lack of them, church bells are a reassuring reminder that you're part of a world that's bigger than it sometimes feels.
