Cutting the Cord

As most people who know me know, I have been tuning out for decades. I never set foot on public transportation or inside a hockey rink , a hospital or pool without my headphones. When the neighbors decide to renovate and power equipment starts to run – I plug in. When hungry and tired children start to wail – (not mine, of course) – I plug in. Boring household tasks – folding laundry, putting away dishes and clothes – I plug in.

I listen to podcasts, playlists and audiobooks. Usually, if I can, I knit while I am listening, although I have been known to color too. Occasionally I have been to venues where there are bars that overlook the ice. In those instances, I can knit and “Read” and have a drink all at the same time. ( While I am watching the game of of course). I’m not sure it gets any better than that.

As an inpatient, I plug in to tune out all of the hospital background noise so I am able to sleep. I mostly play nature sounds like waves lapping at the shore Chacra New Age recordings. In the pool, I have my own custom playlist of songs that are easy to swim to. How I love the repeat function. When a song is so good, you just have to play it again. (Barbara Streisand’s Superman, Abba’s Dancing Queen, Firefall’s You are the Woman – you get the gist )My waterproofed Nano is sadly no longer being made,but mine shows no signs of failing. I try hard not to start singing along, unless I have the pool to myself.

It just makes my day happier to listen to Ella Fitzgerald singing The Cole Porter Song Book, the late Suart Mclean on The Vinyl Cafe podcast or my new favorite, the adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig. Yes, I do laugh out loud, but then I just smile broadly rather than try to explain to those around me. Sometimes they move away to give me a little extra space, just in case, – perfect.

I have tried Bluetooth headphones with mixed results over the years. Lots of dropped connections and drained batteries meant I always carried a cord to be safe – even with my beloved Bose Quiet Comfort Clunkers – until now –

This week, I decided to try AirPods. I couldn’t quite convince myself that they would stay in my ears and that I wouldn’t lose one – I think they look a little funny – like misplaced earrings. I had an apple gift card from trading in old technology to cover the cost so I decided to give it a go and I’m not looking back. They are a giant step forward for me and while I didn’t go for the wireless charger, I am loving not having to deal with any wires and the battery seems to last and last. They don’t fall out. When you take one out – the music pauses like magic. Despite the black clad Apple sales person’s assurance that they wouldn’t pair easily with my older nano, they did, as well as all of my other Apple products. Oh, what fun. Don’t worry, I am not using them in the pool. When the waterproof ones come out, I will be first in line.

I am pretty sure I am not the demographic that Steve Jobs and his team had in mind when they created iPods and all the subsequent generations of products, but I am eternally grateful. For me, they make this world a better place.

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