We lived in Gardena, CA in the early 1960's. Next door to us was a family with a dog that barked quite a bit. My father complained without success. He was extremely noise sensitive and only got worse with age.
The barking dog phase coincided with the purchase of a toy over which Dad I shared a lot of common ground - a reel to reel tape recorder. It not only became a tool for Dad's audio diaries and communicating with people around the world, but also served to bring out the 12 year old in him. After repeated attempts to get the neighbors to subdue their dog, Dad placed a microphone outside and recorded a few seconds of the barking. He cut the segment of tape out and joined the ends creating a loop of incessant barking. Giggling with delight, we put a speaker outside, next to the fence and played the loop.
That's the last I remember. I don't know if it worked, got a response, anything. Just the pure joy of such a technologically creative prank was so thrilling the rest became forgettable.
Of course, I came upon the loop recently, preserved and labeled for the Babin museum.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It's always fascinating to me to observe how different people react to unpleasant situations. Your father chose a creative way to deal. He apparently wasn't a retaliative person, and he had a sense of humor. More people like him, less wars in the world.
Anonymous said…
You are so handsome. Looks like your son has received a lot of your father's loving/giving kindness through you.

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