The Discipline of Listening

This morning, while I was making-eating-enjoying breakfast, I slid Side C of the Swell Season vinyl on to my record player, and joyfully listened to the final side - including the vinyl only addition of "Something Good" (which was, well, something good!). There was something calming about the whizz and crackle of the needle sent through the speakers that made me appreciate the sound that much more. Though I wasn't fully focused on the sound (I was after all preparing and eating my breakfast), there was more focus on it than when I'm on my Mac, or doing some menial task. Earlier in the week, I spent a morning listening to my Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme LP, with little to no interruption, and it was beautiful. Just beautiful.

My listening practices are changing...

The last time that I listened to my iPod was on New Year's Day, while flying from Minneapolis to Toronto. There was nobody sitting beside me who I could talk to, and I wanted to hear some familiar songs while journalling about my Urbana experience. With this, I am okay. I write that to say that the days of me popping the earbuds in before heading out of the house are seemingly over. I don't want to listen to music on my iPod anymore. At least not when I'm in potentially social situations (ie; anytime people are present), because I become absent. I want to be present. I want to either enjoy music in the seclusion of a quiet afternoon with myself, or communally with friends. Not when I could be listening to the weather's song outside, or talking to someone on the subway.

I say all this to say...

My listening practices are changing.