A fellow devotee back in the ashram days used to interrupt his meditation to chide each new chela who entered the temple too loudly. “Be quiet, we are meditating!” The guru corrected him later, saying if one were truly focused in meditation, he would not be disturbed by anything around him. I think of this anytime I hear sharp neighboring voices when I’m out wandering my property. I take the vocal cues as triggers to go into meditation and wish for them what I wish for myself: I want a happy life with friends who support my dreams, with all of us having as much as we need forevermore, however the universe wants to bring it to us. So far, so good.