A Quiet Summers Eve - NOT!

I am all for encouraging kids to be creative and active. I'm all for supporting kids tof find their talents. I must admit I'm not always appreciative of graffiti artists, and I can be seen to physically cringe when I come across skateboarders in underground parking lots. But I do appreciate the skills and abilities that those talents have underneath their flamboyant exteriors.

I think mostly I struggle with kids that show their talents by destroying property, or create loud noises (being such a quiet person myself - no really). I enjoy watching good skateboarders when they're not using private property as props for their tricks, or when I can't hear the grinding metal against metal. I'm completely envious and would love to have that kind of balance to stay on those small board with wheels.

It's the noise. I just can't stand when someone else's noise levels disturb the greater good.

Hence, my total annoyance at the kid across the street tonight.

That fateful Christmas 4 years ago the family across the road presented their pre-teen boy with a drum kit. No lessons, as far as I can tell, were also given. Five years ago this fall we moved into this tiny house. Its a very busy 4 lane street, which turns into a race way at the best of times. So traffic noises are constant and audible, but four years ago at Christmas a new sound level was introduced - a boy, his drum kit, and now .... his grunge boy band.

I may appreciate it better if the young drummer had improved with age, unfortunately he's of the school that believes that louder IS better.

In the last year or so he added some buddies to his basement group. The electric guitarist who only knows the key of screech, and his vocalist who sounds like he's very constipated and in pain. Not to mention the beat rarely changes, and the words are far from discernible (and believe me when I tell you that it's loud enough I should know every word by heart).

This goes on day after day, weekend after weekend, evening after evening, month in and month out. And always with all the basement windows wide open.

I am often torn between my desire to encourage kids to be creative, and my yearning to go over there and give his parents a shake. Unfortunately, my survival instincts kick in and tell myself not to start trouble in the neighbourhood and let bad musicians play. They'll have enough disappointments in life.