Anyone that knows me well knows that if I ever leave the house alone there are headphones in my ears plugged in to an iPod in my pocket. Music is playing at least 10 hours or more of every day for me. In fact, iTunes is bumping away right now. This morning was no different, I went for a jog con headphones (excuse the spanglish, it just seemed to work); then, after showering and some breakfast, left the house again to run errands....headphones secured tightly in my ear canals. [On a side note, Shure makes the best headphones around. You don't know how much of your music you are missing until you try listening to it through truly great headphones.]
After returning home with my re-usable bags stuffed full with a whole bunch of new art supplies and a new mouse for my computer (I went wireless this time), I needed to get back outside to enjoy the rare sunny day in Vancouver and finish my errands, but you will never guess what I did.......this crazy thought popped into my head and I decided to leave the old iPod (and headphones) at home!!!! I know......it's sheer madness!!!

I left the house this afternoon with the sole intention of listening to and completely taking in the world around me; the birds, the wind, the cars, the protesters at the art gallery and every single person I passed while out and about. The first thing I noticed was not only did I hear more things, I saw more things happening around me, I even smelled more things (apparently you can smell Subway's fresh-baked bread from a block away). It is weird to think that I am usually so engrossed in my music, all of my other senses go into hibernation. In all honesty, that is sort of my goal......I want to disconnect and music helps me do so. I don't want to hear people yelling, sirens blaring, crows making all their noise, the homeless guy on the corner who has been "trying to get enough for a bus ticket back to Montreal" for the past 3 years (are bus tickets really that much?). I realized though that by disconnecting I have also missed friends reuniting, kids laughing, protesters saying what needs to be said (and heard), tourists asking for directions (for some reason I take great pleasure in giving them) and the homeless person on the corner "trying to get enough for a bus ticket back to Montreal" (he just wants someone to acknowledge he exists and to care). Sans the headphones I noticed even more the diversity this city has to offer, I realized that when I try to block out the things I don't want to take in, I also block out the good things......the things that need to be heard. The things that make this world truly amazing.

I know we are a digital generation, an iPod generation, so I challenge each and every one of you to leave the house one day each week sans the iPod (or similar). Go out and listen to the world around you, smell the flowers, eavesdrop on conversations, take yourself outside of the iBox you've put yourself in and re-connect with the world. True, you hear a bunch of crap you don't want to hear, but think about all the great stuff you could be missing as well. Nothing beats a baby laughing or a couple fighting over waiting in line to try something on at the new H&M that just opened (seriously, this is funny!)

Do something and do it now!
JD

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