SHUT UP!

Do you want to know a secret?

I HATE the sound of other people's laughter. Seriously, it makes my ears bleed, particularly when it's in the near distance, like next door.

I don't understand why outdoor gatherings make people laugh louder than when they are indoors. Whenever I'm outside, I make an attempt to be a calmer, more in control version of myself because I don't want to annoy others: the outdoors is a shared space, it belongs to no one and everyone. Other people, however, seem to think that the world is their personal soundstage and once outside in it, they can shriek and squeal and laugh with loud abandon.

Entitlement pisses me off: in Hoboken, people think that if they have a legal ID, some friends and access to an outdoor space they are practically obligated to utilize all three and make as much noise as possible while doing so.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not unrealistic. I believe in the right to gather outside and enjoy the company of others. What I don't believe in is polluting the air with banshee screams and estrogen infused howls - yes, most of the screamers are girls: there is NOTHING worse than the shrill cry of a twentysomething faux socialite (except the teen version).

So, What's La Pointe of It All? It's this: if you want to scream and shout, knock yourself out - but do it indoors so that the rest of us can enjoy the outdoors, too.