life.

‎sometimes i'm guilty of tuning the world out, zoning out with my headphones on and not paying as much attention to my surroundings as i could be. i am conscious of it and make an effort to leave my earphones and sunglasses on my coffee table and venture out into the world without those signs that i think alert people to the fact that i want to be left the hell alone. i really hate when people engage and ask me silly shit, though. that said, there are times when valuable information can permeate into your being just by being open. sometimes you notice things you wouldn't otherwise notice if your music is cutting you off from life's soundtrack playing continuously around you. times where it's particularly important to tune in is family time. too many kids are being raised by ipads and smartphone videogames. younger members of my family put on earphones during car trips so that it is impossible to have a conversation. it seems the collective societal attention span and ability to recognize valuable and critical information is very, very [VERY!] low. we spend so much time in front of a screen that we can list off every other films the actor in the current film we're watching is also in. i spent most of this past weekend listening. anytime somebody older than me talks, i try to listen. i feel like there's always something to be learned, always something you can apply, and if not, there's at least perspective to be gained -- which is basically just as good as learning new information. it just seems to me, the younger generation cares little about the travels and stories of the folks who came before us.‎ it's a generation that seems to need constant stimulation, and sometimes just the way older folks operate (so deliberately) becomes a big hurdle that disconnects. if a story's point takes too long to get to, once the point is actually made its impact might be nonexistent. anyway. i feel like i learned a lot this weekend just by keeping my earbuds in my pocket and listening. 

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.