| A
vilification for the thieves of sleep
By Whitney Hancock
I cannot even begin to describe to you the feelings
I experienced last night between the hours of 12 and
1 a.m. They primarily consisted of bitter resentment,
severe stress, and heightened levels of indignation
-- as well as near exhaustion -- and they were all directed
toward three young women that live in my apartment.
Roommates.
We all have them. And until we graduate, get married,
drop out and move home, or become independently wealthy,
we'll probably keep having them. And they will continue
to be a joy. Just a joy. Especially at 1 in the morning.
On a school night. When you have to be up before the
sun. And they're being obnoxious, loud, and inconsiderate.
Like I said, a joy.
There is something that many of us learn in our grade
school years, a little thing known as common courtesy.
Sadly, I'm pretty sure three of my roommates were sick
that day in kindergarten. They missed this crucial lesson.
And now I'm paying for it with my precious hours of
sleep. And the furrow in my brow and dark circles under
my eyes are evidence of my sacrifice. Evidence of what
has been stolen from me, because of the lack of human
decency.
Have you ever had neighbors who were just beyond the
imaginable limits of loud? Last year, the boys who lived
above me were awful. They commonly had their music playing
at excessive volumes. And it seemed they were regularly
doing Jazzercise or some other such activity that required
excessive jumping up and down. Who knows what caused
my vibrating walls and quivering light fixtures, and
the sounds like someone dropping bowling balls on the
kitchen floor above me. But it was hell sometimes. Especially
in the middle of the night.
This year, I live on the top floor. No noisy upstairs
neighbors anymore. This year, I have the great pleasure
of living with the noisemakers! They're right outside
my bedroom door, for crying out loud! This year, we
are the noisy upstairs neighbors! I feel utterly terrible
for the poor girls who live below us. I recognize and
sympathize with your need for a broom handle, a fist,
or any other object you can find with which to pound
on the ceiling.
I feel your pain.
Isn't it pretty safe to say that someone might be asleep
by 12:15 or so in the morning? Especially someone who
has to wake up at 6:45 to go to class and work a full
day? Now I'm usually pretty good on six hours of sleep,
when I consciously choose to stay up until 1 a.m. But
on the rare and blessed day that I go to bed early,
I expect, even count on, that extra sleep. And when
I am prevented from getting that much needed rest because
a couple of 7-year-olds are too busy playing hot lava
and giggling like they've been hit with the happy gas,
well that is just too much.
Is it simply too much to ask to be treated with some
respect? It is too much to ask that you act your ripe
old age of 23? And if you must play your games, is it
too much to ask that you don't do it at one in the morning?
And please, not right outside my door?
NW
JJ
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