The work I do is the type that requires a lot of creativity and good attention to detail. It also involves getting into discussions with folks at several intervals each day. While I need a very good internet connection and power supply to show up each day and do my thingy, having to experience any sort of noise is exactly the thing I wouldn't want to experience while working.
I've had to work in such a noisy environment before and it wasn't an enjoyable experience, especially when I'm in a virtual meeting. That's exactly why I use the noise cancellation feature on my laptop. It helps a great deal.
You would think the problem I have with noise pollution only has to do with work, but that's far from it.
I grew up in Anambra which is a very rowdy area in Nigeria. The neighbourhood is the sort of area where it's never weird to see people screaming at each other and having loud arguments at the ungodly hour of the night. It's like a norm for everyone to play loud music and watch movies at the highest volume. Even my Dad is guilty of this. Haha.
Three years ago, when I lived in the Northern part of the country, I lived in a house which was very close to a main road. The house itself has a very decent place with no unnecessary drama, however, I can easily hear the sound of cars passing the main road. There was also a Church very close to my compound and I remember struggling to get a good sleep whenever the church were doing their prayer section.
When I relocated to the Southern part of the country, I was very careful of the sort of environment I would be moving into. You can never be too sure of these things, but I got to narrow down my house hunt to a compound which is fairly decent with manageable noise. The place I live now is filled with apartments that are occupied by students, Corp members and young lads who are seriously trying to build a future for themselves.
We have gatemen who addresses issues of noise pollution whenever someone in the compound decides to on generators at odd hours or play music too loud. This level of censorship isn't exactly pleasant if you are the one playing the song or having your generator on in the middle of the night. However, those who are suffering from the noise would appreciate the gesture from the gatemen.
I've been living here for almost two years and I've become very adapted to living in a noiseless environment. Just a week ago, I got to travel to Anambra where I grew up. Lol. I'm not even surprised by what I noticed about the environment... It's still as noisy as ever. I won't go into the details, but the noise was on a different level.
Well, noise pollution is something that will take longer than a while before it fully ends in Nigeria. It happens when you are at home when you come out for a walk, and it also happens in church while the sermon is going on. I'm not even making this up. Haha.
Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop Or Comma.
Thumbnail Image is taken from Unsplash.