Re: Self-confidence vs. Age

[Sorrento95@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 97-06-08 01:26:06 EDT, Annette writes:

<< It takes guts to complain in such an environment. Nobody likes to be
 perceived as a bore and a spoilsport, especially not younger people. Could
 it be that as we age we gain more self-confidence and become less concerned
 about peer pressure and are thus more likely to complain? That could easily
 create the misconception that noise bothers only older people. >>

  The aging thing is kind of complicated.  When I was in my 
  early 20s I remember avoiding rock bands which were loud
  enough to hurt my ears, but I didn't avoid rock music in 
  general.  At that time, the amplifiers were less powerful.  I 
  am 50 today.  

   Noise didn't start to be a problem in my life until I was in
   my mid-30s.  Had I become less tolerant with age?  Perhaps
   a little, but I think the problem mainly was due to the fact
   that the noise level of  the society had increased beyond the 
   tolerance level established at an earlier stage of my life.

   A big problem is that many baby-boomers in middle age
   are still living in Never-Never land and have a great fear of
   being written off as old fogeys.    They don't want to be
   accused of being the "establishment" trying to repress
   the joyful expression of youth.  I have come across this
   problem in several discussions with my age-peers.
   
   This syndrome needs to be overcome to pave the way
   for baby-boomers to use their influence in society to combat
   noise abuse.   Many of them, I'm sure, are willing to plant 
   flowers on the grave of Jerry Garcia.   And then there's Bill
   Clinton and his saxophone.

   A few weeks ago I visited the director of the local Methodist
   center near the University of Oklahoma.   I tried to talk him
   into sponsoring a coffee house, like they had there in the 60s,
   to support and promote acoustic music.   He wasn't interested.
   He told me about how he had "modernized" his Sunday services
   by incorporating amplifiers and electric instruments.  He admitted
   that it was pretty loud, but said that is what young people 
   want.   He clearly expressed that he didn't want to be written
   off as the  "establishment" trying to repress them.  

   How sick.  How Orwellian.  The "establishment" is raking up
   profits right and left by exploiting and promoting the noise 
   culture, and these pseudo-rebels are just a bunch of phony 
   airheads.

        -- Michael Wright 
      
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