Listen, Listen, Listen, Listen.

I've lived in Chicago nearly two years now. I like it. I've always considered myself a "middle of nowhere" guy. But Chicago has proved me wrong. It's clean and comfortable. Not too loud for a city.
The weekends downtown are peaceful. I live close enough to the river to enjoy it. And my little eight-block radius of a world has everything I really need.

Truth is though, I haven't seen much of it. My first full year here was spent in Super Bowl commercial hell. And the following year after, just some life changes kept me from venturing out.

I haven't heard much of it either. That's because most of my time walking, commuting on the L, taking Lyfts and generally existing has been with headphones on.

"Airpods are my greatest purchase," you can hear me say without being asked.

They live in my ears. The once white and pristine marvels of technology are now mucky and gross. I've worn them working out, running, going to sleep, doing laundry and on the couch listening to a podcast while I watch the news and play a videogame on my Switch. I listen to them while I read. If I could shower with them, I would. I've burned through a pair already. I'm on my second.

But recently, I've tried to make the effort to live without them. At least for a little while. Starting in the morning after workouts I keep them in my pocket on the walk to work and just listen.

I wanted to remember what it was like to exist without a podcast pumping through my head or a song affecting my mood.

The things I've immediately noticed aren't that surprising.

It's sort of a meditative state. I can think about things I want to write about in the morning or just get lost in my thoughts. I'm just where I am which isn't a consistent feeling these days. My ears pick up the clinks and clanks of construction. The wind blowing. Gears turning on a bicycle. People talking on their phones. Doors opening to coffee shops.
And I actually notice I smell the coffee wafting from them.
I don't just hear more, I see more too.
And I engage. Oh, I engage. I actually talked with a stranger today. Smiled at them. Made a human connection.

That never happens.

The guy was wearing the new Airpod Pros. He says he loves them. Best purchase he ever made. Great sound quality. Noise-canceling is a gamechanger.

I think I need to upgrade my headphones.