Noise annoys.


Am I becoming less tolerant of noise as I get older, or is the world becoming a noisier place?

Perhaps a little of each.

Certainly I find myself being annoyed by uninvited sounds far too often.

'Uninvited' - that's the key word: it is the feeling of intrusion which irks.

I like loud music on my headphones, when I am in the mood, though I can't read comfortably while listening, but the blast of noise from a passing car's stereo, or the bass thump from the flat downstairs, can make every muscle in my body tense with anger.