The train whistle blows. A car door slams. The seat belt warning in the car below beeps three times. The train whistle blows again. A car rushes by. Train whistle. Snoring in the apartment above. Train. Car. Train. Snoring. Train. Meanwhile someone’s annoying rap music plays the same beat over and over — and over it all. It sounds like the same stinkin’ song and same stinkin’ beat over and over. “Ug! Shut up!” I want to yell. My brain is now awake and on.
I grab my phone and look at the clock. It’s 3:02 am.
Welcome to noise of modern day apartment living. Communal living. A constant barrage and cacophony of sound.
I really just wish the music would stop. The rest of it…I think I could tune it out…I think. But that music! I want to run out of the apartment and hunt Mr. Music Man down. “Please, Music Man,” I would say, “turn that crap off. It is past 3:00 am and some of us want to sleep without your beat pounding in our ears and in our heads.”
It stops. Maybe he heard my silent rant.
Praise God!
Oh wait. New song. Same beat. Different tune, or is it? I strain to hear. Internal chat activates again. “Really?” I think. “What in the world is Music Man doing at 10 minutes over 3:00 am listening to that stuff? Cleaning the house? Playing video games? Cooking? Come on. Doesn’t Music Man know most people LIKE to sleep in the middle of the night?”
Talking now in the apartment above. Song two stops and a new song starts. A dog barks. “Brain refocus! Ears off!”
“Help!”
3:20 am. Brain pivots. I realize it is my birthday and I am officially a senior citizen. I also realize I am too old for 20 something apartment living. Get me back to my senior abode aka my quiet room in my quiet house on my quiet street.
Wait!
The music has stopped. The upstairs taking has stopped. Snoring is quiet. No train. I hear frogs. Brain screams, “Quick! Put down the phone. Roll over. Put a pillow over your head (just in case). Close your eyes. Go back to sleep while you can. Hurry!”
“Thank you Music Man,” I silently whisper. “Thank you for shutting off that rot that you think is music. If I could find you right now, I would hug you. You just gave me the best birthday present ever!” Silence — minus the frogs — and it is now only 3:34 am.
Zzzzzzz