I’m in my room reading, winding down for bed. It’s a summer Friday, and yes, I might be 20, but I’m in for the night. My window is open. The soft summer breeze washes over my face and carries with it the sound of a neighbour’s party. Their music is turned up, but I hear their laughter and conversation anyway. I’m sleepy. I don’t know these people, nor am I even quite sure which house it’s coming from, and yet despite all of this I’m tempted to join.
I’m a 2000s baby. I grew up in an inner-city cul de sac in Toronto. My street has never had a block party. In fact, I’ve never been to one. So, why am I nostalgic for a time that I’ve never experienced, before the war on noise? I’m sure I’ve seen a boombox, probably collecting dust somewhere, but never being swung back and forth as a disk jockey strolled down the street. (And unfortunately, never over a love interest’s head— what can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic)
I’ll come right out and say it, I’m jealous. Make fun of me all you want, but maybe I was born in the wrong generation. Hear me out, maybe we ALL were. We’re so disconnected, quiet, and scared of taking up space. We blur into the background like muzak. There’s no eye contact on the subway, let alone conversation, and by no means is music allowed. I know because the signs on the train passive-aggressively tell me my music is shit and to keep it to myself. Before you come at me, yes, of course I’ve been annoyed by someone listening to their music without earphones. I might not be immune, but I am embarrassed to admit it. We need to lighten up. We need to bring back the boom box.
We’re all in our own environments when we put on our earphones. I can be listening to a pop culture podcast while the person next to me is listening to porn or something. I mean, keep that to yourself for sure, but that’s how disconnected we are. Sorry to be a boomer, but we need to unplug. Noise is connection, and after the last two years we’ve had, we could use some. Maybe a little vibration could jumpstart the culture, it definitely wouldn’t hurt.
I never do get dressed to find the party, that would be a bit too weird, but I lay in my bed with my ear to the window. I can’t quite make out what they’re talking about, but it’s comforting nonetheless. It makes me miss my friends in a light-hearted way. I think about having a BBQmyself when I get a bigger place. I think about the food we’ll eat, the debates we’ll have, but mostly, I think about the music we’ll play.