Sunday, August 23, 2015
My Neighbor Elmer
A few years ago I had an elderly neighbor , Elmer. Elmer was a great neighbor. He had it all...kind, humorous, generous, thoughtful, sympathetic, helpful. In short he had many great qualities for being a good neighbor. I remember all these great qualities.
Now Elmer loved to listen to his radio. He liked talk shows and documentaries. He didn't watch TV until the evening. Did I say Elmer was elderly? Yes, and along with elderly comes a few deficiencies. As with many seniors, Elmer's hearing was deficient. Now this didn't bother Elmer one bit. His radio had a volume knob and he used it. So over the years the radio and TV got louder and louder. It was okay in the winter, but in the summer when windows were open and I was outside it was a bit much. Now I didn't have the heart to tell him to turn down the volume. I would tell a teenager to can the volume in a hurry. But teenagers would have the volume turned much higher.
Okay, Elmer was a fictitious neighbor, but I think many of you have an Elmer beside you and it's unpleasant.
The next guy is real. The next guy is me. I only listen to radio. I like news,documentaries and talk shows. Oh yeah , and music too.
I am now elderly. My hearing is somewhat impaired. And so my radio is turned up too loud. Neighbors can hear my radio when they're outside. The micro manager is driven to distraction by the volume on my radio.
So here I am. I'm just like a person I have complained about.
How many of you have a neighbor who turns the volume up too high? What do you do about it?
So aging not only brings about problems for the elderly person but those around them. This is only one instance. There are many more.
I will try to consider others with my radio volume.
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Sounds like it's time for a headphone radio.
ReplyDeleteHead phones but remote.
DeleteI have never met my neighbours upstairs except for the elderly lady who lives there. I know there is at least one or possibly more than one other who lives there. A few years ago someone (I assume the elderly woman) would listen to the television at top volume late at night. I'm talking like the wee hours of the morning. I tried knocking on her door to no avail over the din of the television. I even tried knocking on her door when the television wasn't on. No one would ever answer. I see this lady out and about in my neighbourhood but she would never open her door. I understand why. I probably wouldn't open my door either.Top it off I figured out along the way that the only English word she can say is "hi". So whenever the television was far too loud, late at night, I would take my broom handle and pound on the ceiling. I think I did this about 6 times. The television is no longer too loud.
ReplyDeleteA situation like that is long and bothersome. She finally got the message.
DeleteWhen we lived in Amsterdam, we had a blind man living on hnis own below our apartment. He used to "read" spoken journals on Sunday mornings in his bed under our bedroom with full sound. We never dared to complain about it but were always woken up very early at our free weekend.
ReplyDeleteThere's always an issue that isn't black and white.
DeleteThere may be a technology such as wireless earplugs or perhaps even a portable ipod that you should consider.
ReplyDeleteI have an ipod that's good if I'm at the computer or not moving. I find the wires a nuisance if I'm active.
DeleteI have a friend who leaves his radio going all day, whether home or not.
ReplyDeleteYou're a hoot! My hubs has hearing issues, too. There are times I cannot stand the volume on the TV. I wear ear plugs! He doesn't listen to radio. have you thought of an iPod? You can download podcasts to your micromanager's delight.
ReplyDeleteI do have an ipod . I'm not comfortable moving around with the wires.
DeleteWe have fixed it with wireless headphones. And for our TV watching, we both have another set of wireless headphones where we can each turn up the volume to what we need. I'm the one who likes it louder than my husband does. Check out Sennheiser headphones, which are wonderful! :-)
ReplyDeleteI will look at these headphones. Thanks.
DeleteDown the street someone plays loud music, extremely loud, once every summer. The music he (?) plays is Big Band music from the forties. When he does this we just turn off the TV and enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good deal.
DeleteYou need a set of wireless headphones and you will be all set. You can turn the volume up as high as you need, and nobody will know the difference. We got a set for my MIL when she comes to visit, and she loves them. She got two sets to use at her house, one upstairs and one downstairs, and now she can hear her shows without the volume blasting. The only thing to watch out for is to make sure you get ones that plug into whatever it is you want to listen too. Uusally a minature RCA plug. Her stuff is older, so the bluetooth ones wouldn't work. We got all of ours and hers as Best Buy, but don't know if they are in Canada or not.
ReplyDeleteWe have Best Buy! :)
DeleteI will have to check this out. I'm active so I'm moving and need something that isn't going to be a hazard.
DeleteOur nearest neighbour is a kilometre away. Last weekend, we heard a live band blaring through the country air!!! But they shut it down by 10 pm, so I survived. :)
ReplyDeleteShutting down at ten is a good deal.
DeleteOh by the way Red, I should have offered up a solution. I agree with those recommending wireless heads phones or even a little pocket radio with normal headphones. I'm always looking for solutions for my non techie mom who has lost some hearing and some vision and it is very difficult. She simply cannot remember instructions.
ReplyDeleteI will take a look at the wireless headphones.
DeleteI've got neighbours up on the third floor who tend to be rather loud when, well, engaged in adult activities.
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether to laugh or cry on this one.
DeleteI am probably the loudest in the neighborhood! You need some headphones, some came with our Roku and I can turn the volume way up:)
ReplyDeleteI will have to look at some of these.
Deleteoh, you need to invest in some wireless headphones for sure - at least when you want to listen at night.
ReplyDeleteI will have to get some wireless headphones.
DeleteSome headphones would solve that problem. It's pretty quiet around here, so I'm not sure if people don't turn up the volume or don't open their windows :) The only noise is from the kids playing next door. There are five of them in that family. But that's okay. Kids are cool.
ReplyDeleteI think in most places our high volume is not a problem. I agree let kids make noise.
DeleteYes, I have two neighbours. I was sitting on the front porch having a cuppa the other nite and all of a sudden "The Blues" came rushing to the neighbourhood. I thought someone was having a band play in their backyard. It was great music and I was enjoying it, but curious as to where it was coming from, so I followed it and sure enough it was my neighbour 3 houses up with her speakers out on the deck. I settled back on my deck and enjoyed the jazzy blue music for approx another hour when it suddenly stopped. I guess she went in for the night. The other neighbour has TV going at nite and you can almost feel the vibrations, however it also is turned off at timely manner - doesn't really bother me. I'm not hard of hearing yet. hehe
ReplyDeleteIt comes to us all Red, though I have had bad hearing for years and got there a little earlier with the volume :)
ReplyDeleteWe solved it by moving out in the country our nearest neighbor it a quarter of a mile away. In any case being hearing impaired I couldn't hear anybody anyway....:)
ReplyDeleteComfortable earphones with a long lead might help sometimes Red. Or why not buy all your neighbours some ear muffs?
ReplyDeleteMy complaint is. The commercials are the problem with loud sound. Every second commercial we are down with the sound. A real nuisance.
ReplyDeleteHi Red, By now it looks like many of the commenters have given some good advice re the wireless headphones. I use some of those myself. I sure agree with you about the wires. I wonder how many people out there still like radio like we do?
ReplyDelete