I can't hear you right now

On the long drive back from our vacation, my son was happily ensconced in the backseat of the car with a movie on his iPad and his headphones on. They are those wonderful children's headphones that have a limit on them so the volume won't be too loud in his ears.

And yet, when we stopped for lunch, it took two tries and me tickling his knee to get his attention. 

We have a rule that he has to wear his headphones in the car so that we don't get distracted by his movie sounds. And I don't encourage him to wear his headphones in the house. But as I looked at him yelling "What?" to me when I was trying to get his attention, I couldn't help but think how completely tuned out of the rest of the world he was right then.

It's inevitable, I know. As this piece in the New Yorker points out, wherever you go in your daily routine, you see people wearing headphones. I know that I see them as I walk into the office in the morning, on coworkers as they type away at their computers and in stores when I do my weekend chores. 

I understand the desire to tune some things out in life, or the need for some relaxing music while you work or even the upbeat music you want to hear to gear up for your day. But maybe, just maybe, we should unplug once in a while so we can hear what the rest of the world sounds like.

Or at least hear when someone is telling you it is time for lunch.

What are you listening to when you wear your headphones? Share with me in the comments.