Commuting and IPodding

It has been a long time since i've listened to ipod 'on-the-go'. Most of the time, it is plugged into the stereo at the house or in the car - and even then it's usually blaring out Adolfo IV's playlist (a mix of Raffi, The Muppets Showtunes, Beethoven's Wig, and John Lithgow).

Recently, though, I've plugged myself back in after buying myself a pair of squishy, noise-cancelling Panasonic earbud headphones. I had abandoned all hope of listening to the iPod on my commute. The Medical Center is just too damn loud. With the apple-supplied earbuds the mixture of music, conversation, train station alerts, roaring cars and their impatient horn blowing, occasional emergency vehicles, busses was an unlistenable, headache-y mess.

These new earbuds, it would be enough to just put these things on with nothing. Rather than the medical center yelling back at me, i can hear my footfalls, my breath, and my backpack rubbing against my shirt. Then, when i turn on the podcast or the music. It's like not being there at all.

I used to ignore the people on the train. Bombarded with their conversations (cell phone or otherwise) i could tell exactly who was talking, where they were in relation to me and in some cases a little about their personality. Now, with my dark sunglasses on, i keep my head up and look directly at poeple's faces and watch their lips move and their eyes dart about, with music overlayed on top of them.