I grew up in a large metropolitan area. There was no open space between cities. People from all different walks of life lived together in harmony. Most importantly, there was no noon bell.
I understand that small towns have certain traditions and quirks that have been going on, well, let’s be honest, since the beginning of time. Some of these traditions are important to the people who live in these towns. They give character and personality, and residents are attached to them. For example, the small town in which I went to college had a giant glockenspiel. The music coming from that was beautiful and whimsical. Tourists passing through always made sure to visit it before leaving town. Most importantly, the glockenspiel did not wake my daughter from her nap every single day.
Yes, folks, I’m talking every single day. It’s bordering on ridiculous.
I want to make sure you understand what the noon bell in my town sounds like. It’s not a church bell. A church bell is something I think I could deal with. This noon bell sounds like a tornado siren, or a fire alarm. It is loud, piercing, and basically makes your ears want to bleed. I also think it’s hidden right outside our open bedroom window.
Every single day, before my baby is quite ready to be awake, this awful sound goes off and disturbs her slumber. I know what you’re thinking: “Just adjust her nap times.” Ah, if only that would work. Unfortunately, she has decided when she wants to go to bed, when she wants to wake up, and when she wants to nap. No efforts on my part have been able to change that.
I called city hall a few days ago, asking them if they’d be stopping that tradition any time soon. I explained the problems the noon bell was causing in my household.
“No, we don’t plan to stop ringing it. We’ve been doing it forever.”
My response: “Hmm, I see. And what exactly is the purpose of ringing a noon bell?” I figured I may be convinced the daily wake up was worth if I heard the reason for the tradition.
Her response: Silence. More silence. “I’m not really sure. Can I put you through to the police department?”
As you can probably guess, I haven’t made much progress in getting that awful noise to stop.
I’m planning to call them each time the noon bell wakes my daughter up, just to let them know. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It’s time to get squeaky!