Stop looking at me, I'm not crazy!

The calendar states that the year is 2015 and before we know it 2016 will be here. Technology has come on in such leaps and bounds that when you sit and think about it you really can't help but marvel. Literally, were does one even begin when you want to get all effusive about what we have grown to love from the amazing techno world. Well I haven't time to delve into what are perhaps the most popular techno gadgets. However, I would like to discuss earphones; you know, gizmos that we use to listen to music or as a hands free aid for mobile phone users to talk whilst on the go without holding a phone to his or her ear. How great! How convenient. You can literally do a multitude of things whilst little ear phones nestle cosily in your ear holes. 

So, having said that, I have a major gripe, and it goes a lot like this - why do people in this year of 2015 look at a hands free user as though he, (well me) is strange because it appears (even though I'm not) that I am talking to myself. Come on now, really! Look a little closer and you will see that I have inconspicuous plastic white earphones in my ears! It's gotten to the stage were I am walking through my local supermarket jabbering away to repeatedly notice folk are looking at me curiously. What are you looking at?! I'm not talking to myself! I'm not on the crazy spectrum. Haven't you seen or even used a hands free kit before?! These people really should concentrate on their groceries than starting at me.

 

Well due to this unwelcome attention paranoia has held me up against a wall and forced me into holding my phone in my hand as I walk around if I happen to use earphones. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of hands free? Well I would forcefully argue yes. Now I am attempting to be obvious by holding the mobile in my hand, as it demonstrates to onlookers that I am talking on the phone! Oh it really is a nuisance. And because I feel I have to do this it makes it that bit harder to fully inspect the best apples and bananas when I'm frequenting the fruit and veg section of Asda. With this problem I have grown increasingly self conscious, the once acceptable practice, to my mind of keeping ones phone in a pocket and having just earphones on display doesn't  always seem enough to dispel or quash any notions that you're a bit of a crack pot that enjoys having articulate conversations with yourself. 

It really does bother me when I notice/suspect that the general public may think I like to talk to myself. Like why is there such a stigma with people who look like or are actually conversing with themselves? I like to think that I'm not so judgemental, as in if I saw somebody having a full blown conversation with themselves and I couldn't detect earphones that I wouldn't condemn them to the loony bin. What's so wrong with talking to yourself, anyway? Actually, to be honest, in my neighbourhood I have observed a few drunks talking to "invisible people," and, in truth, the sight makes me feel slightly perturbed. 

After seeing that I have also noticed "regular" looking people walking along, alone seemingly talking away to no one. I look intently and indentify that they have earphones in, yet I still can't help but think they look like they're talking to themselves. Like they're a bit, you know, well weird. Like really, what are you doing? Oh crumbs... I do the exact thing that I hate people doing to me. 

Demola, TCC