As I get older, all the noise seems to get louder

As I get older, all the noise seems to get louder

As I get older, all the noise seems to get louderI recently was chatting with an attorney friend of mine, who is much younger than I am, about going to bar mitzvahs and similar events. He stated that he dreaded getting invited to these affairs because unlike the “good old days,” these functions usually involve a deejay with super large speakers and a megawatt amplifier to be sure that everyone hears his music.

This is great for the kids, of course, but pity the poor adults in attendance while trying to speak to one another across a table. Now I must admit to getting “Oh—El—Dee” but the attorney, as I said, was much younger.

I guess that noise in general is something that I no longer can tolerate. I will admit to being one of the first kids in my block to have a pair of 6- by 9-inch oval loudspeakers in my car attached to my eight track tape player with which I was able to listen to Patti Page, Frankie Lane and others. I felt no strong need to have the person several car lengths in front of me hearing my booming bass sounds. BOOM…THUMP BOOM…THUMP. Again I am Oh — El —Dee.

I am happy that I have someone who comes to cut my lawn several times a month, but I dread when he arrives with his mufflerfree lawnmower and incredibly loud leaf blower. I will be the first to vote for banning these in my town but I doubt that it will ever appear on the ballot. My nice neighbors seem to own every piece of equipment that is capable of producing noise and they are constantly in use. My only way to fight back is when I test out my generators and leave them running for a few minutes. It even annoys me but that is the price I pay for revenge.

I grew up living right under the flight path leading to Logan Airport in Boston. I loved the sounds of a DC3 or DC6 as they approached the runway. Once they began flying these modern jets it became a rude awakening, in more ways than one. No more sleeping with the windows open at night.

I recently went to a new restaurant that opened near my town and although the food wasn’t too bad, the noise level was intolerable and the place was half empty. I guess that is the new thing for restaurants.

I believe it started with TGI Friday’s and their attempts to create an ambience of a crowded busy bar and restaurant. I, for one, much appreciate a quiet meal with perhaps some soft background music and the ability to carry on a conversation across the table without the necessity of screaming.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love dogs. All of my neighbors have them (my home animal control expert vetoed having another one of my own). They all tend to bark a bit especially when I attempt to leave my house and forget to bring dog biscuits with me. This is acceptable to me. I do however have one neighbor who owns a breed of dog that seems to think that constant barking has some benefit, perhaps in keeping elephants away. It must be working, because I have not seen any elephants in my neighborhood for several years.

My neighbor in his effort to assuage us, has placed some sort of bark collar on the dog which prevents it from barking but does not prevent it from making the most awful squeaking sounds that I find even more annoying. So far the only solution has been to keep the dogs indoors all of the time which becomes problematic. I would tend to think that barking dogs must annoy the owners as much as the neighbors but apparently that is not the case.

I also love children but can’t stand the screeching “little angel” next to me in the checkout line or heaven forbid in the seat behind me on an airplane. The screamers are almost bound to be seat-kickers as well. Some airlines have been thinking about a separate section for parents with rotten kids. I for one also would vote for this.

Perhaps that old saying “Rest in peace” should be changed to “Rest in peace and quiet!”

You can contact Ernie Sochin via email at community@sochin.com


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