Inside Voices

It’s my fault. I’m the one who chose to live in a town-home, rather than a house, sitting on its own private piece of land. Even so, why is it that I have to overhear the conversations of my neighbors, who are inside of their home? Do they have to yell at each other in order to communicate? They’re in the same house.

Sure, I can close all my doors and shut all my windows, but that doesn’t keep their voices from penetrating through my walls. It’s absurd. What ever happened to people using their inside voices?

Couples fight and parents yell at kids. I get that. Do I have listen to it though? Why do all arguments seem to make their way outdoors? Not only are fellow neighbors exposed to these verbal altercations, but some of those topics should be kept private. No one needs to know how much of an “idiot” you think your husband is, or how “stupid” you think it was for your kids to run out in the rain.

Using inside voices seems to be a lost concept. My son and I just returned from a walk through the park. There was a couple talking to each other so loudly that we could hear them from across the park. They weren’t arguing, just talking.

Restaurants are the worst. I’m not sure why people choose to raise their voices so high in restaurants. Are they trying to get attention, or do they not realize how loud they’re being? It’s frustrating when you go out for dinner, to a nice quiet restaurant, and can’t even hear the person you’re sitting with, because the diners three tables away are so loud. Why is that?

I have a bad habit of joining their conversations. Whether they notice or not, I’m not sure. From the table behind us, I’ll hear “Did I tell you what happened at work today!?”  Naturally, I have to respond, “No! What happened?” Most of the time the words just come out, without a second thought. Actually, with no thought at all.

I’m not sure if any fellow diners have caught me doing this yet, but I get a kick out of it. If they’re going to talk so loud, that I can’t hear who I’m sitting with, then me joining in, should be expected. Maybe that’s what they want. I’m being partially facetious.

Then, there’s phone calls. For some reason, people seem to feel the need to raise their voices well beyond what is necessary, when they’re on the phone. Most cell phones are made exceptionally well, and they don’t require that we yell into them in order to be heard.

I understand that this may be a hard concept to grasp, especially when the person is inside of a restaurant, where people are talking and food is being served.

The neat thing about restaurants, is that they have doors that lead to the outside. Obviously the restaurant had an entry door, otherwise no one would be inside. Therefore, it’s very likely that there’s also an exit. It may even be the same door. It only takes a moment to walk outside to take or make a call. In the meantime, other diners get to enjoy their meal and conversations in peace.

I’m not ranting. This is merely an issue that is seemingly becoming more prevalent, and I’m not sure why that is.

We were taught, growing up, that we should use our inside voices. That was especially enforced when we were out in public. People go out to enjoy quality time with their families, or to have a date night with their spouse. Part of that enjoyment comes from the conversations that they have with one another. When other diners make this impossible, it really puts a damper on their time together.

I wouldn’t want to spoil another person’s outing, just as I wouldn’t want them to spoil mine. “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” It’s all about respect and courtesy.