Imagine you’re hearing a horrendous discord of sounds, a sonic sting so grating that you want to plug your ears.

The sound is very deceptive, because to most people hearing said sounds they would say they are not that bad, in fact they may even dismiss them as a slight annoyance, a mosquito to be psychically swatted away, but to you the sounds make you want to scream your head off.

Deceptive too for anyone observing the situation would be my perceived reaction to the sound, which would appear to be a state of contentment if not even enjoyment if I could conjure up a smile at that particular moment.

Fact is all those expressions would be fake, false, and quite out of touch with the feelings inside me, that’s because the sound is one of a friend, family member, or acquaintance who constantly spits out nonsense of all sorts and never takes anything in.

Lack of accepting criticism and correction would be the biggest of the culprits in the situation that lead me to write this column about the subject, but the sounds can come in many shapes, sizes, and assorted nasty flavors.

Ignorance would be another because as much as you may tiptoe through tulips or on eggshells not to create a social gaffe or a breach of friendly etiquette, these noisemakers will continue to flaunt the behavior that led to such rambling narratives as you see in this column.

Sadly earplugs only go so far as these sounds and indeed actions are intrusive in a bunch of different ways not easily deterred.

Loud is a word usually reserved for sound, but smells can be loud, sights can scream, and even a presence can shriek just as loud as any chain rattling spirit.

So in order to fully understand the subject matter of this column, you have to think of this noise as almost a living entity, a plague upon the senses if you will, that little bit of food stuck in your teeth that you cannot seem to dislodge no matter how much you try.

Now at this point in the column I’m usually prone to writing about the things you can do to improve a situation, ways to maybe change your mode of thought to be able to escape the fate of this assault on decency.

I’d be preaching tolerance, an ability to cut through the muck and find clear water to sail on, listing the best methods to ‘count to ten’ and not react in anger, perhaps writing it out, or punching a pillow, who knows.

In a better light than what lights this page today, there are tons of possibilities.

However on this one I’m at a total loss, I can think of no other advice but to create space between yourself and this ‘noise,’ basically I have no other consul to offer at this one besides…run.
Run as fast as you can, far as you need because this sound may carry.

Good luck.