So the Air and Water Show is this weekend, and if you haven’t yet, this week you may start hearing and seeing previews of the show as the planes practice over the lake. This is the part of the summer where a lot of people get annoyed. And complain.

I understand in theory (and in practice) why people don’t like the low-flying planes and screeching sky-noise of the show. It’s scary and threatening and reminiscent of wartime and, worst of all, makes outdoor cellphone conversations hard.

But the Air and Water Show is so awesome.  What I love about it involves being a part of something exciting without doing (or paying) anything at all! I personally hate experiencing thrills and chills. I loathe roller coasters and if I can ride out airplane rides fully unconscious that’s fine by me. But with the Air and Water show, the excitement comes to you, and you don’t even have to do anything or practically go anywhere! Come on, that’s rad—it’s like a fireworks show that conveniently places itself outside your window.

I know I can’t convince many of you that the show is cool, but in that case, I want to know why you stay in town when the show comes. Because I think people forget the Air and Water Show is an annual event and then look up, angrily surprised, when they hear the planes flying. “That again?!” they think. “I thought I had that show outlawed when I was annoyed at it last year!” Might I gently suggest that you just need to get organized: Find out which weekend the next Air and Water Show is and when that time rolls around, flee! Go to Great America or Milwaukee or Springfield or even just the suburbs. Or ironically get on a plane and go elsewhere. Because I agree, if you can avoid it, you shouldn’t have to listen to those loud planes.

But you can totally avoid it.