The Festival of Lights has become a tradition for me and my 4 1/2-year-old niece. This year was even more exciting for her, as she recognized her favorite Disney characters and actually garnered a kiss blown by Sleeping Beauty directly at her.
Unfortunately the event was marred by the excruciatingly loud sound system. After the anticipatory excitement of waiting for the parade, when Mickey Mouse and the Magic Castle appeared, the sound level prompted my niece to cover her ears and run away screaming with tears, agonizing pain and fright. I looked around and saw dozens of toddlers reacting the same way, despite the oblivion of happy and excited adults and some older children.
As a Baby Boomer exposed to years of rock concerts and increasingly loud movies, my hearing has definitely declined, but I see no reason to inflict this damage on another generation prior to the age of consent. I think we’ll be looking for a new aunt-niece tradition next year.
