The Rites of Youth

I laughed last night as I lay in bed. I realized that I could hear my sister's (15) stereo playing Yellow Card right above me, (She has occupied my room the last few years since I moved out). I laughed because I suddenly realized that all my relative-guests, and my little brother all growing up could probably hear my Nirvana and Greenday and Guns and Roses or whatever else I "wasn't supposed to listen to," seeping through the floorboards in my upstairs bedroom. I so cautiously turned it down low, so that my parents didn't know "what kind of music," I was listening to! Now I realize, no matter how low you turn it, whomever is sleeping right below you can hear it just fine! I couldn't sleep, listening to my sister's music blaring, and I contemplated running up stairs and yelling at her to turn it off, or throwing something up to the ceiling to make a convienient bang! to make her turn it off. And it was then I realized, that no one ever once came up stairs to make me turn off the music my dad called, "long-haired-people" music, and no one ever let me know they could hear my musical selections through the floorboards. And even though, I tossed and turned in bed for over an hour, I went to sleep--smiling.