How My Speakers Fought the Bad Manners Blues

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http://dearreader.typepad.com/dear/2005/09/dear_reader_col_16.html




Embarking on a day of solo skiing in the high country, I eased my matronly blue van (years ago dubbed "The Mother Ship") into the ski area's wooded outer parking lot, my radio's classical station supplying the perfect rapturous accompaniment to this gloriously sunny, white-skirted day.

I parked and turned off the car and radio, surprised by a less pleasing sound assaulting my ears. In the next parking spot stood a Subaru with its doors thrown open, a booming rap beat blasting from its stereo system. Beside it, four snowboarders pulled on loose jackets and knitted hats, oblivious of the overreaching effects of their music.

"How rude," I thought, opening the hatch of my van, "to assume that everyone in this lot wants to listen to their particular, offensive music." I felt invaded--the peace of the day ebbing away.
Getting into my van to put on sunscreen gave me shelter from the noise, when a more positive move occurred to me.

I turned my radio once again to the classical station, cranked the volume all the way up and lowered all four windows at once, my speakers pouring classical crescendos from every orifice of the behicle. Thus accompanied, I got out to don my boots and unload my skis, trying to pretend it normal to function amidst this much noise. The musics dueled.

The boarders, one by one, glanced up from fastening boots amidst the cacophony and grinned. Grins broadened to smiles, nearly to laughter. They were definitely getting it. Minutes later, all ready to go, we simultaneously turned off both sound systems and locked the cars, the show-down over.

"Great day, isn't it!!!" chirped one of the boarders to me in the now silent lot, barely containing his glee.

"SO GREAT!!!" I agreed, having given up nothing, and gained quite a lot.