Honesty and music

Today's topic is "If you could be completely honest with no regrets, what would you say and to whom?"

I would talk to owners of restaurants, people who run outdoor festivals, and people who drive cars that I can hear from my house. I would say that it really isn't necessary to blast your music that loud. I love music, too, but I don't love it at the volume at which it is played at so many places. This is nothing new.

Blasting music has been a "thing" for many years. Most of the time, it bothered me. On occasion, I didn't mind the blasting music.

I remember, when I lived in a little apartment in Columbia, Missouri, while I was attending journalism school, there was a neighbor who played the drums until late at night. I thought that was annoying, but I didn't know who it was so I couldn't complain to anyone about the incessant beat that went on and on and on, seemingly without end. Actually, it did end. By the time I woke up in the morning, the drummer had stopped.

One day, the drummer wasn't drumming.

"Ahh, quiet," I thought.

I went to bed, relishing the silence.

And I tossed and turned for hours.

What happened to the drum? After all of those months, it felt like a heartbeat. Apparently, a bass drum can produce a sound that imitates a heartbeat.

It is very reassuring and calming.

The next day, the drummer started drumming again.

I slept soundly.

At restaurants and at outdoor events, on the other hand, the music does not feel reassuring. It just feels frantic and loud and off key.

I would say that I love music, but I do not love frantic, loud, and off key music.

I have no desire to tell people what music to play at their business establishments or at outdoor festivals. All I am asking is to please be gentle with the volume knob. When I go to a festival or to a restaurant, it's a social event. I want to have a conversation. I don't want to have a headache from the strain of trying to hear somebody speak over that background noise that I cannot tune out.  Please, make the music ambience. I don't want to have to compete with a stereo speaker.

Now, your turn to answer the question: what would you want to be completely honest about and to whom would you address your concerns?