Hali Sarah Parsons, Horticulture Major

One of the most important senses to use publicly is our hearing. In Beverly,

Massachusetts, a memorable tragedy occurred on October 27, 1999 where

Andrew Cesa was crossing the train tracks with headphones on. He looked down

one track and saw a train coming so he kept crossing, but didn’t notice another

train was coming in the other direction on the adjacent track. Needless to say,

that was his last time in that body.

Similarly, events like being jumped, kidnapped or worse could happen if

you can’t hear someone running up behind you. Those types of events we would

have to live with – but would they teach us a lesson?

Less tragic are more common possibilities where people speak up

(possibly introverts who won’t tap you on the shoulder or wave frantically at you)

and they say, “Hey, you might not want to sit there, there’s a puddle,” or “You’ve

got something on you.” Even kind remarks such as, “I like your hair today,” go

unheard. These types of outreaches could prevent a bad day, or make gloomy

ones better. Instead we stay secluded and tuned out.

Contrastingly, some of us can relate to being the person ignored by a

headphone-consumed community member, which could result in us feeling

isolated in the same sense.

Listening to music or other audios is definitely a coping method that works

for many people in combating stress or working with emotions. However, there is

a time and place for that – “safety first.”

When we are in public, a mindful thing to do is “be in the present.” The

“present” is a gift and the only time we can enjoy it is by being “in the now.”