Do you love (or hate) wind chimes?
Did you know wind chimes date back to 3000BCE Southeast Asia? They were initially made of pottery, bone, or shell. More modern versions, crafted from metal and with specific sounds in mind, made their appearance around 1100BCE in other areas of Asia. Eventually, they would spread to the rest of the world.
I’ve always loved them. For me, they're a treasured gift. And I've enjoyed giving them to friends and family for as long as I remember. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized wind chimes are regularly featured on lists of “Most Annoying Things About My Neighbors”! They're a major cause of noise complaints...and even a few 911 calls.
Here are some of the stories I ran across:
“…a neighbor near me had the bloody things and for several years I hardly got a wink of sleep on any windy night. I seriously considered a commando raid to steal the poxy things.”
“I’m a 911 dispatcher. I used to work in a shore town, where all the houses were right on top of each other. I dealt with two neighbors who for years fought about wind chimes. 'He' hated them. 'She' kept them because they were the last thing her husband gave her before he died. Year after year, I dealt with the arguments between these two. So one day, he called. I said, “let me guess. You’re complaining about your neighbor’s wind chimes making noise?” He said “they’re not making noise anymore. I went over with scissors to cut them, and she tried to stop me. So I stabbed her in the chest with the scissors. You should probably send an ambulance.”
“I was staying at a friend’s house one night. Starts pouring rain with heavy winds. As I’m falling asleep, I realize there is a huge wind chime outside my window. I go outside in the storm, spend several minutes taking apart the stupid thing so it doesn’t make any more noise. I leave it out there in pieces so it can think about its life choices. I go back inside and sleep like a rock.”
They all seem like good story candidates for a Jan Coffey novel, don’t they?
Well, here are a couple of reasons why I like wind chimes. Maybe you could add why you do (or don’t) like them.
The melodious sounds are so soothing.
They keep the birds away from the berries in the garden.
Feel free to share your stories with us...but please don't tell us if you've stabbed your neighbor!!