It all started when one of my AirPods stopped working. I was coming back home from Rotterdam after visiting some friends. Waiting at the bus stop I realise when I put the AirPods on that the left one was sounding slightly lower.
At that moment my hypochondriac self screams in my head “Something is fucked with your hearing “. I had to actually try the other AirPod in that same ear just to calm down (ridiculous). But everything was fine, just my AirPod.
But it was okay, a bit lower but still fine to use. Until it stopped working. If you’ve been following my blog, a few weeks ago my washing machine also broke down. So either I’m jinxed or, and I prefer to think it this way, new opportunities to explore are arising.
And then is when I stopped using the left AirPod. And you know what?
It has been amazing.
How is it possible? basically, what happened to me is that I seem more connected to the real world. Instead of being listening to music and seem inaccessible for my surroundings, I became part of it.
And how I became aware of it? In one of my favourite places to go: the gym.
I almost always go at the same time at the gym, so there is basically the same people always at that time. But after years going there, I barely talk with 1 or 2 people. And I usually don’t make conversations with new people.
And it’s not because I am shy, I really don’t mind talking with new people, or just being alone somewhere and start making new friends. Countless times I’ve been in a bar or a party alone and end up with an amazing group of people. But that’s a story for another post.
So what was going on wrong? why it seemed that I was unable to connect with more people in my gym?
Those damn AIRPODS.
Basically, those damn AirPods were in my way. I take my training quite seriously, and after so much time training I’m able to do some impressive stuff in there (calisthenics). So obviously, if you see a guy, training hard, pushing his limits and with the AirPods on, you don’t bother him.
First single Airpoded training day
So… the day came. I went to the gym, single AirPoded. And the magic happened. One guy approached me when he saw me doing muscle-ups and we started talking and I gave him some advice on how to progress with that exercise. Turns out he works in one of the best Italian restaurants in my city and I didn’t even know about that place.
Now I know about it, and I’ve been kindly invited to go and try a pizza there. Just for not wearing the 2 damn AirPods.
That same day, later on (I train for 1:30 – 2 hours some times), another guy sees me training and he tells me “damn man, that’s sick!“. I was doing one of the progressions exercises for the front lever. Another moment, another conversation. And a very amazing one.
This guy was trying to do pull-ups, he could only do 4 of them. BUT, he lost 20kg, started running, swimming, meditating and having cold showers. He was fighting his way to a better and healthier life. We shared really nice ideas and I pointed out how much more impressive what he did was than what I was doing. He still was starting with the pull-ups, but with that mentality, and keeping training like this, as soon as he loses a bit of more fat, he will do more pull-ups than I will ever do.
Next training day
I’m doing my training, again, single AirPoded. A woman sees my tattoos and she points out how nice they are. I happily show them all. We talk for a bit and have a nice conversation.
And it seems silly, but those small interactions, made my days.
From now on, I will use my two AirPods (whenever I fix the other one) when I want to be truly isolated, otherwise, I will just use 1 of them. So I’m entertained with my music, but open to the world and its people.
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