Moment of Awe at the Grocery Store

[NJCher]

I went to the grocery store this a.m. and of course wore my headphones and mp3 player. It is de rigueur here because the leafblowers go constantly at this time of the year. I would wear them anyway because I listen to music a lot. This is a noise cancellation technology headset (same kind as the airport guys wear) in order to shut out the leafblowers so I could hear my music better. When I wear them, though, I hear nothing from the outside. I'm in a sound capsule of my own making, so to speak.

So I'm standing on line and the kid in front of me starts dancing. He was dancing to the music the supermarket had going. He didn't have a player or headset. Watching him dance made me want to dance and I was listening to Madonna's new "Hung Up," which has an incredible beat. So I started dancing, too.

I dropped something I was holding so I had to stop and pick it up. In the process of doing this, I turned around and saw two other customers behind me, both in headsets with mp3 players and yes, you guessed it, they had started dancing. The whole supermarket checkout line with four people in it was dancing!

I looked at other people to see if they found it as interesting as I did but everyone was self-involved, even the checkout clerk. It was like no big deal to anybody. The two dancers behind me were dancing with their eyes shut so no "reading" there.

This episode left me with a great feeling, not just from the music, but from knowing everyone else was having fun with their music, too.

On the other hand, as I thought about it later, it was a little strange--all of us in our own little worlds. Is this what's coming for Americans--everyone in their own little world?

It's OK with me if it is; I'm not sure of the implications of all this, though.




Cher

[Floogeldy]

1. That's Kewl

:)

[graywarrior]

2. I love that visual.

[SeattleGirl]

3. That sounds like fun!

Had I been in that line, I probably would have started dancing too. That's pretty cool that you did that, and the other people did too.

And I don't think it's strange. Listening to music can make a person want to dance....you and the others did. Maybe the strange thing is that nobody else did. Too concerned about what others would think, maybe!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Wow, what a terrific story!

Thank you for posting it, my dear NJCher!

I don't think you need to worry about all of us closing off from other people, though......

I really don't think that will happen....I just went to the store Thursday, and in line ahead of me was a very happy school teacher...

She was happy because of Ahnold's having lost all his ballot propostitions, and so we talked about it and shared our joy......

Now, I don't usually talk that much with anyone while I stand in line, but it does happen.....

So there's a considerable spectrum in what we see out and about our daily lives.....

I love the image I get when I imagine you and those folks in line with you, all dancing!


:woohoo: :woohoo:

[tigereye]

5. nice story

I was at a party last weekend and one of my buddies from my son's school said that her son commented that people are all in their own little worlds... like crabs in their shells, never coming out of their houses. Yet, people manage to connect. Sometimes people talking on cell phones seem that way. Yet they are communicating, just not with anyone around them!

I like that Gardeners bumper sticker!

[Shine]

6. What I love about this story is: We're ALL in the Dance of Life, afterall

Thanks for sharing this one!

Very cool.
:thumbsup:

Shine

[skygazer]

7. Neat story

One of the things that gives me hope for mankind is music and the arts in general. I've always felt that the two critical differences between us and other animals is our need to create art and the fact that we prepare our food rather than just eat it as it comes. We invent new ways to make food taste different. That's kind of cool.

Music, though, is even cooler to me. All cultures have created music independently and that's kind of fascinating. Music brings people together, conveys stories, gives cohesion, comforts, entertains. It's complex and somehow visceral. It's a language in and of itself.

Cool picture your post brings to mind.