MONDAY THOUGHTS: LESSON LEARNED: PRESERVE YOUR PEACE

I woke up feeling positively battered. 

Considering what time I finally went back to sleep, I'm surprised I'm awake at all. 

I dragged myself to the bathroom, and realized I looked exactly the way I felt. 

My very thoughtful daughter was busily making juice. Apples, mangoes, oranges, pears, lemons...

I needed that little glass of juice. 

It was like a shot in the arm. 

I opened my bedroom window. 

Other than vehicles passing, it was quiet. 

I love a morning breeze. 

Suddenly, some loud girl yelled out to someone who had to have been a mile away. 
Yes. There's residue from yesterday. 
Today is going to be a noise-free day.

Yesterday, I put up with the noise from the park longer than I should have. 

That was stupid. 

Instead of complaining, and being annoyed, and pondering whether to call the police, I should have just made a plan, and gone out. 

At the first sound, I should have left home. 

Instead, I tried to deal with it. 

When I considered how ridiculous I looked lying on my bed with earphones on and a pillow over each ear, I should have gotten up and gotten out of here.

Is it okay to amplify profanity-laced music because it's South East, DC? 

Do we not care? 

Is there such a lack of respect for Ward 8 residents that we are not trusted to just read the mailers and other correspondence from candidates of the upcoming primary? 

Do we have to be favored by the loudest, most mushmouthed speakers because we can't relate to, or understand anyone who passed high school English? Are we so disengaged from politics that people feel the only way to dispense information far southeast of the river, is to invade the neighborhood, set up an apparently nuclear powered sound system, and force people out of their homes with the equivalent of musical tear gas? 

Right now, my nerves and ears are meeting to form a mutiny if I overexpose them to unpleasant sound ever again. 

The campaign event bum rushed the neighborhood like a crazed go-go Pied Piper. 

"Come out, come out wherever you are, Black people! This music is going to blast so loud that being inside your home will be like torture! 

Come on out ya'll! Young and old, hear this poor excuse for gangsta rap, go-go, and old school R&B! There's something for everybody! 

You can't hear yourself think, so you might as well come outside! The only way to get your interest is to feed you, and permanently damage your hearing! You'll be shell shocked when it's over, and we'll leave lots of trash behind, but you will definitely know who to cast your vote for in the upcoming primary!"

People who plan events in Oxon Run Park have no idea what an assault the noise is on neighborhood residents who seek to enjoy the comfort of their homes. An argument can be made that it's not every day or night that an event takes place, but one only needs to be battered over the head by a wrecking ball ONE time to know it's not a pleasant experience.

Yesterday, my peace was disturbed, and I did not handle it well. I tried to endure when I should have gone in a different direction. I took too long to take a ride. If the primary had been yesterday, I would have voted for the other guy in the other party.

You know what you can handle. 

Don't compound stressful situations by remaining in them. 

Don't continue complaining as they progress, and hoping that they will change, or miraculously go away as they get worse. 

Every thing is not for you. 

Be kind to your nerves and blood pressure. 

You DO have a choice. 

Don't cry, whine and reduce yourself to a mess. 

It's not about being right, having rights, winning, or principles when your peace of mind is at stake. 

You can have the right of way, and be just as injured.

 Sometimes, you have to let people have their noise and mess, and search for peace.