Disconnection

I'm a misanthrope, and for all practical purposes, a shut-in. I rarely leave my house except to go to class, run the occasional errand, see my friends, or see Katie. When I'm walking to class, at least half of the students walking with me have their iPods or other MP3 players going, earbuds in their ears, just plodding along as usual. When I got my first iPod back in 2006 or 2007, sometimes I would have it playing when I'd walk to lower campus, on my way to class, but I didn't keep that up for very long. There's a level of disconnection from the outside world that even I, a misanthrope's misanthrope, can't maintain. To say that I don't do it because I'm concerned for my safety would be, well, overdramatic. I'm rarely genuinely concerned about my safety. But I like to know what's going on around me; I like having an awareness of my surroundings. I like what minimal interaction I have with other people and the outdoors. As much as I'd like to listen to Radiohead's "The King Of Limbs" for the xth time, while walking to class, I just can't bring myself to do it.