Dear Abby: Writer Needs Way to Drown Out Noise So She Can Think

[cereta]

DEAR ABBY: My husband refuses to wear headphones. This means that when we sit in the living room together, I must put up with the blaring noise of whatever he is watching.

I do a lot of writing, and in order to think, I need silence. I have tried earplugs, but they don't muffle enough of the noise. Now, when I have had enough, I leave the room. This results in us being in two separate places, which he hates. Is there another solution I may be overlooking? -- LOUD IN MAINE

DEAR LOUD: You might try noise-canceling headphones. However, if that doesn't work, because you need to "hear" in your head the sentences you are trying to write, you may have to do your writing when your husband is not at home.

Comments

[moem]

I'm reminded of Mr Previous, who liked to watch TV in bed. He watched mostly stuff I did not care for. I didn't mind, as I could just snuggle up to him and read. But every time I'd settled into the book, he'd start talking to me, usually about something that was happening on the screen. I'd nod, reply and go back to reading, and then five minutes later he'd do it again. I asked him to stop, but he. Could. Not.
He simply could not handle that I was doing something separately from him, and not paying any attention to him.

[wordweaverlynn]

Sounds familiar. My ex-husband couldn't stand that I did cross-stitch while we watched TV together in the evenings. We snuggles, I paid attention to the TV, but he wanted my 100% attention all the damned time.