Living in a high rise is an extremely unique experience. It comes with its benefits, but it also comes with its perils. The benefits often include living in the company of a large number of co-habitants, which provides a diversity of experiences, cultures and the feeling of being part of a large social group – something that is a basic human need.
The perils include less isolation, so greater access to another’s space, the littering all around which is accessible and visible (especially from top down – which is an unfortunate occurrence), and the noise that overlaps from one house to the other in all four cardinal directions.
Sometimes, we get used to it, let it pass, especially if it is occasional, else we try and ‘sensitise’ our neighbours to the pains of it. As law-abiding citizens, perhaps that is all we can do, and we hope that civic sense and empathy suddenly sprout their seeds in the said neighbour’s heart.
If not, we do have the occasional ‘WhatsApp Spats’, which are never pleasant. This is especially true if the same spats keep repeating. Quite often, it becomes a pain point for the rest of the group.
A lot of times though, much as you want to blame them, it may not be that noisy neighbour – In most high rises globally, the biggest culprits of instances of ‘furniture dragging, ball dropping, marbles dropping’ have been… hold you blankets… plumbing systems, and the strange ways in which air pockets move around them.
A phenomenon highlighted even more at night due to minimal ambient sound. So no ghosts either (a little disappointing because it made for a good hypothesis – a ghost who loves playing marbles on my ceiling!).
And being residents of Uttar Pradesh, we know it is still difficult to curb noises around the society, as we have no control over them, and so we have no choice in that matter either.
The moot point is simple – for all of us – to live, but also let others live. To adjust and live with each other is always a better way than to bully, shame, and misbehave because in the case of the latter, you lose more dignity than the one you set out to shame.
Tolerance (at least a little) goes a long way in making your life happier and more enjoyable. And most importantly, it is always better to resolve any outstanding issues one-on-one rather than making a clamour on public forums – people will eventually lose interest and you your support.
Funnily enough, all of this also sounds like good relationship advice, but the readers are best placed to choose what they need to. Time out, peace, happiness and abundance to all!
