Had the company Xmas party on Friday night.
Enjoyed the pre-dinner 'cocktails', standing around, moving around, chatting to people and grazing off the passing trays of nibbles. Good times.
Enjoyed the meal. OK, was the normal chicken-beef-chicken-beef nonsense but tasty enough.
Enjoyed the chat at the table meeting people I didn't know (partners came along) and learning more about those I did.
But...
Once the dance music started, it was time to go.
It's now Sunday morning here and my voice is still croaky from trying to talk over the noise.
And I left before dessert was served.
Why do they do that? The music is not something I could dance to (and it would be louder on the dance floor anyway), you can no longer talk because of the volume.
You just become an island.
At least in the old days when there was a live band they would stop for a while to have a drink and regroup; at Friday's do there was a DJ driving some CD contraption and it was relentless.
I have never been a fan of Guantanamo Bay but I now have a better understanding of what is inflicted on the detainees by the imposition of endless, senseless noise.
Showing my age? Probably. But also showing the wisdom to leave.
...
