Noise Please

Conversation:

“Hi, this is Pete with XM radio, congratulations on the purchase of your new Hyundai automobile. Are you enjoying your new car?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“As you know your new car came equipped with XM Radio for a free trial period. Since that trial period is expiring in the next few weeks I’m calling to offer you a great deal on continuing to enjoy all the benefits of XM Radio.”

“Thanks for calling but I’m not interested. I’ve got enough noise in my life and I don’t listen to radio that much.”

“We have some great pricing incentives for you to continue to enjoy XM Radio.”

“You’re doing a nice job, but I’m not interested. I’ve got enough electronic cocaine in my life and I don’t need anymore.”

“What do you listen to in the car?”

“I like to think in the car and I pray for people.”

“What music do you listen to when you listen to music in the car?”

“Classical.”

“We have some great classical music stations and can extend your enjoyment of XM Radio for six months at only $4.95 per month.”

“I know you’re just doing your job. But I’m not interested – goodbye.”

It would be nice to get my hair cut someplace without what passes as music intruding. It would be nice to shop without electronic noise intrusion. It would be nice to sit in a waiting room and actually “wait”; not having to block out uninvited television noise. I’ve got a dental visit next week and it just occurred to me that the last time I was in the “chair” that a television was starring down at me; the news anchor no doubt peering into my molars.

What does this produce? Here’s an example of another recent conversation:

“Hi Susan,” says I, “you didn’t email me about getting together for premarital counseling.”   

“Oh, I guess I should have,” says she, “but Frank didn’t think he could do it.”

That’s it for the conversation. But here is what I could have said:

“That’s too bad. Here the two of you are getting ready for what will hopefully be a lifetime commitment and you are unwilling to invest the time to provide your marriage with a firm foundation. If Frank is unwilling to spend the time on premarital counseling now, what does that say?”

Perhaps the fact that Susan was getting ready to cut my hair discouraged me from saying anything else. Perhaps the knowledge that the wedding is shortly to occur also influenced me (I would have required post-marital counseling in addition to premarital counseling in this case). Or perhaps the fact I knew that with all the noise in this couple’s life that it would be a stretch to make it from Point A to Point B to Point C discouraged me from the attempt – I mean how much can you accomplish in a public hair salon in a few minutes?

Of course they found a clergy person who doesn’t require serious premarital counseling – and I wanted to say a few things about that too – but again, what’s the point?

No, I really don’t need XM Radio, or any other constant noise for that matter – including Talk Radio (couldn’t resist that one!).

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is loveable and gracious, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, ponder (dwell on, think on, meditate on) these things.” Philippians 4:8