To the editor:

I believe in music. I believe in summer fun. There is also a practice called mindfulness, wherein each person considers their impact on those around them.

As a resident of a community that lives and works closely together, this practice can make all the difference. Otherwise, the accumulative affect of loud noises changes the entire character of place.

I have lived peacefully in Langley for nine years. This year, there has been an increase in both volume and activity. Leaf blowers at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday; dogs barking and howling repeatedly; rap and rock music amplified; delivery trucks that leave their motors on; lawn mowers, chain saws and weed-wackers; a multitude of fireworks. Some of these have gone on for years with resigned acceptance. It is getting to the point, however, that the combined affect is a disturbance.

In each case, I wonder if these neighbors are considering their neighbors. If this was being done in your back yard, how would you feel?

The volume of noise has required the closure of windows in our home in the heat of the day, as well as at night, when temperatures were at their highest. It has awakened us from restful sleep a number of times and is the cause for choosing not to sit outdoors or entertain comfortably on our deck. I don’t even live in the downtown area, and feel the need to adjust our lives around the noise.

In addition to the city of Langley responding to the existing noise ordinance, there is a responsibility of each person visiting and living in this community to be mindful of others. It’s a simple thing, really.

No one is saying to discontinue the music. Would acoustic music be just as inviting? Are amplifiers even needed in these small, public spaces? In the case of lawn and landscape care, can a chosen activity be delayed?

If each person were mindful, we may return to the peaceful place that has existed here for decades.

Thank you for listening.

Shirley Jantz

Langley