Do you like to listen? Let me clarify, do you like when someone shares stories and just talks and you listen? I was unaware how much I love to listen to stories but more recently I seek it out. What sparked this recent desire to listen, well I have two kids now so most of the time if I have any piece of electronic on it’s playing kids songs, a kids movie or a kids app. I spend a fair share of my time in the car, driving to doctors appointments, soccer practice, school and work and so I decided to find my own thing to listen to. In searching for the perfect thing to listen to I stumbled upon season one of the Serial podcast. If you have not heard this I HIGHLY recommend that you grab a cup of your favorite drink and dive in. In a nutshell the podcast follows the very strange case of Hae Min Lee and her murder in 1999. Why do I say it’s strange, well her ex boyfriend Adnan Syed is placed into prison and is still serving from the time he was seventeen for a murder that they did not fully have evidence to put him away for. The story has so many twists and turns, one minute you are saying he is innocent the next maybe not so much. I listened to this everyday as often as I could. I would place one ear bud in my ear while cooking dinner, folding laundry and you guessed it while driving my car.
That was it for me I was addicted to listening to stories. I wanted more after this! I am currently listening to Missing Richard Simmons. Just the same I began plugging an ear bud in my ear while taking Hank my dog for his walk. Could not stop listening to the tale, I had no idea how many lives Richard had changed and how weird his disappearance is. It’s just fascinating to just sit and listen and have a story be told to you. I can understand completely what my daughter feels when I read her stories at night before bed and how she pleads with me to just read her one more. There is something that really pleases my senses to just listen. It also allows me to multi task so I can do more than one thing like cooking dinner but still getting my fix.
Now the whole mysterious thing might not be your cup of tea and I can understand that, for example if I dare share any of these two podcasts with my husband he could not be more disinterested than if I took him to a nail salon and forced him to watch them paint my nails. I have recently become pretty obsessed with audible as well. I was hesitant at first because I really do love having a book in my hands and taking part in the act of reading but I have to say the other day I was folding laundry and I started to listen to Norse Mythology and before I knew it I was 7 chapters in and quickly looking for my notebook to take notes. I never realized how much I love storytelling up until now. I guess it was always kind of in the back of my mind that I loved them but never really allowed myself to be told them. I like listening to other podcasts too but I find that my mind really loves stories and it makes tasks go by quickly and being stuck in traffic not really a bad thing.
Something else that I have noticed is that I really love to listen with headphones. I know this seems silly but I have tried to listen on my computer and it just does not have the same effect. When I put in my I just am immersed and nothing else penetrates. I highly recommend this experience with all of you. Do you listen to podcasts or books on tape? If so please share because I just can’t get enough and I’m afraid of running out!!
