My Neighbor is Weirder than Your Neighbor.
I think I get along pretty well with the other humans and I usually measure up to my cheerful reputation, that is until I’m tested and fail. It happens. I think I’ve written here before that I’m not able to fulfill the brooding or angst-filled artist archetype, my heart resides in a lighter place. I’m grateful that my default is happy and my heart goes out to those who have a different default. But I’m not always cheerful.
Recently, a new neighbor made himself know in a rather unconventional manner – by strolling on the path just under my condo deck with a mysterious speaker blaring what could only be described as a unique chant. It lacked the soothing melody I associate with music, resembling more of an improvised, self-focused monologue. It was not pleasant, but what caught my attention was the peculiar sensation of a right-left audio dance, reminiscent of binaural recordings. Intriguing, but not the calming binaural songs that my brain usually appreciates.
My cheerful inner resident went on vacation after having this neighbor walk by daily and land on his patio just two doors down to grace us all with his very loud disruption. One evening at nearly midnight he made his noisy trek home and sat outside on the patio for a few minutes with music blaring. I wondered if the infant asleep next door would wake.
Another day I was trying to focus on work at my desk near the shared neighborhood path when I was distracted by the approaching din. Emboldened, I stepped out on my porch and the words slipped out, "It would be neighborly if you bought a headset to listen to your music outdoors!" Yes, I admit, my less-than-pleasant side emerged, and I was met with a confused "What?" from the neighbor. I retorted, "Maybe if you turn down your music, you could hear." He didn't, and I retreated indoors, regretting that I lost my cool. I don’t care for conflict, and yet I invited it at that moment. The experience was unsettling.
I was gone for the weekend and today when I returned, however, a surprising twist unfolded. As I heard him approaching again, this time he had more recognizable sounds playing – with tone, melody, and a considerate volume. It seemed he had indeed heard my plea. I’m thankful. I still prefer listening to the birds and frogs that are abundant in the woods and pond down the path, but for now, I’ll be okay with the improvement and give some grace to a neighbor who has different tastes than me.
Image Credit: Technically both images in this article are mine. The sun and flowers at the top I drew on my computer and it took me a couple of hours. The duck below, is technically mine too, but I used Midjourney’s discord bot and these words as input: One duck in a fedora playing music in the style of Art Deco and it took me about 3 minutes. Sigh.
