October 21

Earbuds make me sad.

I will make a confession. This may surprise some and anger others, but even though I am a librarian and love to read, my favorite thing in the world (family and friends excluded) is music. Nothing moves me like music, not even a good book. So I totally understand the desire to listen to good music with earbuds or headphones since you can hear things that may escape your senses otherwise.

That said, earbuds make me sad. One of my daily joys is greeting students in the morning as they pass through the library. After all, I’m a pretty happy person, so I like to pass it along. Yet, many students walk past me after I say “Good morning!” without so much as a “Hi.” They move as if the rest of humanity is invisible, or worse, nonexistent. And what do these isolated souls have in common? They’re wearing earbuds.

I will make a suggestion; take out the earbuds. Greet the people around you (especially the old man in the library). Be aware and in the moment. You’ll have time to listen to that song later.