Anybody who thinks I enjoy complaining is badly mistaken. Even though it is one of the things I am best noted for, finding fault with as many things as I do is not pleasurable at all. And feeling the need to express my displeasure so openly and so regularly is a serious burden; one that I do not bear easily.
My current campaign against unnecessarily loud music and other noxious noises is a case in point. Like many of the other complaints that IÕve aired in the past, it drains me of energy that I would much rather put to other use.
But unlike other complaints, loudness has become so pervasive and intrusive, that it is almost impossible to avoid being confronted with it every single day. And because of my sensitivity, I am affected by it to a much greater degree than the average person.
I must point out that I wasnÕt always as sensitive to loud sounds as I am now. When I was younger, I used to enjoy going out to events where there were a lot of crowds and excitement.
I used to relish a lot of noise from jazz bands, or military bands in parades, or the noises from barkers at circus sideshows or fair grounds, or the roar of 10,000 voices at a baseball game screaming when Jackie Robinson stole second base.
So I can appreciate the need for people to get together and blow off a little steam every now and then, have a roaring good time and yes, make a little noise in the process too.
But I must point out that all of these noisy events that I used to enjoy in the past took place at specialized venues, not next door or across the street from anyoneÕs home. And, most importantly, these noisy events only happened occasionally Ð once in a while Ð every now and then; not every single day, or at every turn you take.
In the old days I could choose to go out to the concert or the dance hall whenever a big band came to town. Or I could choose to go to the circus or the baseball game in the summer, the hockey arena in the winter, and take part in all the loud excitement going on around me.
Sometimes I would just choose to stay at home, especially if I had a headache or wasnÕt feeling well, or had more important things to do, like studying my lines for a play that I was involved in. But nowadays there is no choice; the era of the boom-box culture, forces loud music on everyone within earshot whether they like it or not.
Advanced technology has produced sound systems infinitely more powerful than what existed years ago. Volume levels far exceed anything that people were exposed to way back then. This means that when someone cranks up his sound system, the sound penetrates right through the walls of everyone else in the neighbourhood.
Yet the sound that actually crosses the border of one property and intrudes on the next is actually a form of trespassing that few people are willing to admit or understand in Nevis. Certainly if I drove my car onto your property and parked in your driveway without your permission or prior agreement, youÕd have cause to feel aggrieved. Or suppose I hauled my garbage out and dumped it in your yard, what would your reaction be?
The boom-box sounds from cars roaming up and down the streets at all hours, and from equipment blaring from shops and street corners, are just as bad, because the fact that not everyone enjoys what is being emanated and spewed out indiscriminately is completely ignored.
Although cigarette smoking doesnÕt appear to be a big problem in Nevis, the hazards of Òsecond-hand smokeÓ seem to be just as well known here as anywhere else.
Consequently, most smokers will first inquire whether anyone objects before lighting up, and theyÕll either move far enough away so that others arenÕt affected, or theyÕll do without their fix until they go home. A little common sense and common courtesy from boom-box lovers should prevent them from disturbing others with their addiction too.
Another point I want to make is about allergies. It is widely understood that allergic reactions can be caused in many people through eating or coming into contact with common foods such as peanuts, milk, fish, bread.
In some people the reaction can be so mild as to be almost unnoticeable; in others, the reaction might be life-threatening.
My son Austin loved to play in the wading pools with other kids in the summer when he was four years old. But every time he went in the wading pool his eyes would water and his nose would run with a thick discharge. At first I thought that the pool was unsanitary and that his ailment was caused by some kind of bacterial infection.
After many tests however, it was determined that his body was merely reacting to a sudden change in temperature. It was only then that I realised that I had that same sensitivity all my life.
I have developed other sensitivities too. I can no longer eat shellfish like shrimp, lobster, or conch like I used to without severe consequences. And I can no longer tolerate intrusive music; it doesnÕt even have to be particularly loud Ð just intrusive. My body reaction is similar to that when brought in contact with other toxic substances. I recently came across the following item on the internet:
This is just an excerpt from TIMES ON LINE Jan. 23, 2006, Life and Style Section: Even background music intended to soothe us in, for example, health spas and supermarkets, can have the opposite effect, becoming irritating and invasive and prompting the UK Noise Association [UKNA] to campaign for businesses to Òpipe down.Ó
Val Weedon, the groupÕs national coordinator, says; ÒStudies have shown that our bodies react in a negative way to noises forced upon us, as opposed to those that we listen to out of choice.Ó
If youÕve read this far, IÕm sure you can understand why I feel I have no choice but to complain about the unnecessary loud music currently inundating our communities and invading our homes.
If you are interested in helping the Anti-Noise Campaign, please contact Amba Trott, 469-1424 or 765-3559. Nothing much will happen except the situation might get worse unless more of those who are negatively affected are ready and willing to complain or support those that do.
