I’m sitting outside of the security checkpoint at the airport (going home from my biz trip) because they won’t let me in to my gate with my breakfast in hand.
Sitting here is quite peaceful, and it begged the question: should I take out my MP3 player and listen to music?
Then I heard a woman calling out to another saying "Excuse me, ma’am!" as she rushed towards her. When she caught up with her, still walking towards security, she asked her "Do you mind if I ask you where you got your coat? I have seen it twice before, and it’s great!" The other lady responded, with a thick European accent "Actually I got it at the Burlington Coat Factory," and they walked off too far for me to hear the rest.
It was a nice exchange to witness: two strangers coming together and interacting for the very first time in their lives.
There is something beautiful about being part of your surroundings and not burying yourself in your own world. At that moment I was glad I didn’t have my headphones on.
Think about this when you consider listening to music when you are surrounded by people. You may be on your own, but you’re not alone.
ina