COMMENTARY: “I’ve been consumed with noise-making guilt, even as a child: Whenever the phone rang when I practiced piano as a kid, I imagined it was a neighbor, calling to beg me to stop,' writes joannaweiss.
I’ve seen a barking dog cause a neighborhood feud. I’ve known people who wouldn’t venture into their own backyard because they couldn’t stand the sounds from the pool across the fence. I’ve been consumed with noise-making guilt, even as a child: Whenever the phone rang when I practiced piano as a kid, I imagined it was a neighbor, calling to beg me to stop.
And so, in summer mornings, I rush out to the coop and let the chickens out before they wake the street.Not all noise pollution is equal — and this often has less to do with the sound than the cause. Some animals are native; some are introduced, and in a sense, man-made. Massachusetts seems especially sensitive to man-made noise, which can be a wonderful thing. The mid-Atlantic beaches near where I grew up were marked by wall-to-wall towels and competing boom boxes.
Still, I declined to turn around — maybe because I’m wimpy and conflict-averse, or maybe because I had made my own down payment on noise pollution. There have been times when I’ve been the one with the loud kid in the restaurant, absorbing the dirty looks as I tried to make my exit. And sometimes, there’s no escape: On a plane, my son once howled when I shut off the laptop for landing. “Are his ears popping?” a kindly flight attendant asked. “Oh, yes, that’s it,” I lied.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Steve Carlton’s legendary ‘72 season endures 50 years later: No one ‘will ever do that again’Carlton has no interest reflecting on one of the greatest individual seasons ever, but his former teammates and foes are still in awe.
Read more »
Gold, silver slip again as U.S. dollar holds near 20-year highGold and silver trade lower again on Wednesday after a brief respite Tuesday as the yellow metal shows signs of stabilizing around $1,750 per ounce for the...
Read more »
Live updates on Columbus City Schools strike: Negotiations to begin againFor most students in Columbus City Schools, Wednesday was supposed to be the first day of classes. A look at the impact of the teachers strike.
Read more »
Dallas County again expands monkeypox vaccine eligibilityDallas County once again expanded its monkeypox vaccine eligibility criteria Wednesday after increasing the number of doses available by using a new vaccine...
Read more »