not a rec for depeche mode, but a rallying call for the beauty of silent mode.
i am a headphones in, world out girl.
rise and shine, i dial into a little classical or jazz. hop in the shower, and i'm crooning to 80s ballads. the kitchen beckons me for dinner, and blood orange sets the scene. time for bed? i dial it down with studio ghibli film soundtracks or some brown noise.
Yet today, i decided to go on a run without headphones (!)
As daunting as that felt, once i was in the swing of my run, i was having the best time! i was paying more attention to my surroundings, present in my body, oogling at all the blossoms in bloom and partaking in some much needed thoughts and feelings admin!
listening to music is an intentional act, yet with widened access to music via streaming services, and music discovery assigned to algorithm rather than humans (ai dj, "curated mixes"), it is so easy to consume what's fed to us, or put something on for "background noise", rather than taking in the artistry of so many musicians!
but yeah, tl;dr the next time you connect that bluetooth speaker, or plug in that aux, know that your soundtrack can also be your own existance ! how enthralling !