Friday, April 17, 2009

iPod Nation

Andy gave me an iPod for Christmas and we've loaded our CDs plus some new tunes on it and it's really great to have all of that music at my finger tips. I can walk (someday jog again) while listening to music. I can do housework while listening to music. I can mow the lawn listening to music.

I've come to realize that although music is always available now in a very convenient form, I don't always want to hear it.

I have various genres of music as I'm sure we all do - from classical to reggae, heavy metal to country. I can listen according to my mood and activity. Sometimes, though, what I want to listen to is nothing. Or just the normal sounds of life.

When I listen to music all the time, I disengage from my inner thought life. It turns out that my inner thought life is an important part of who I am. I need that time to think. I need that blank space to allow my thoughts to wander. I need the chance to be at peace with nobody talking at me, even when the talk is melodic and has a good beat.

I wonder whether the youth of today will miss out on knowing how to be alone with their thoughts when they have grown up knowing all music, all the time. I wonder whether the adults of yesterday wondered the same thing about people my age when we grew up with televisions in every home and FM radios with cassette players in every car?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love these thoughts. I too need to be without the music especially when i am hiking or out in nature I don't want any thing but that whic is presented to me. It quiets my soul and stills my spirit and i need that more than most. Good luck with the surgery, if i can help let me know!!
JD

I take photos. said...

I thought the very same thing earlier this week on my way to work. I walk 20-25 minutes to work everyday (and back)...sometimes I listen, sometimes I think, and sometimes I mindlessly (or not) take a look at the world around me.

Alli said...

My sister inlaw bought Claire a little Ipod for her birthday... I let her listen to it on the way home from school in the car later that week, then I realized that's when I talk to her about her day...and I missed talking to her, so I put it away, and she hasn't asked about it, so I don't tell her about it, that's my policy from now on. They'll be plenty of time for tune-ing Mom out later! Now if I could just put a brick on her head for awhile...kidding of course (old saying!)