I’m not averse to conversing with strangers. I was probably more timid before I took a journalism class appropriately dubbed “Talking to Strangers.” But since that class, I’ve experienced more ease while going up to a random person and asking for a high-five or asking them what they think about the weather (in response to dares from my friend). So if somebody were to ask me a question or start a conversation with me, who am I to object?

But on to my real point. I was walking to class one day and another student was walking in my direction, talking to herself. I’m not one to judge… I’ve done it before (at times, I’m convinced my thoughts/conversations are of the same caliber as Gollum/Smeagol conversations). A few milliseconds passed and then I thought maybe she was talking to me. I didn’t know her, but I was ready to acknowledge her if she said something else. Then I realized she was having a full-blown conversation, proceeded to see the white earbuds, and it all made sense.

Phone conversations via earphones.

I don’t think it’s rude or weird or annoying. But man, it messes with me when I’m passing somebody and they’re talking out loud, seemingly to me, then to themselves, then to somebody who could be miles away, but whose sound waves are amazingly flowing into those tiny white earbuds.

And while I’m sure the intent of the person conversing via earbuds is not to dupe me, they’re doing a fantastic job at it. So much so that I’m becoming convinced that earbud phone conversations are going to be detrimental to my sanity. Well, that’s a bit extreme. But they probably will make a fool of me.

One of these days, I’m probably going to think that somebody is talking to me. I’ll get all excited, maybe smile, wave awkwardly, and start to say something back. Then I’ll realize that, no, they were not talking to me, and I’ll have to act like my wave was an attempt to swat at a fly in the air and that my conversation was also with somebody on the phone. But then the other person will see that I actually don’t have earbuds in, perceive that I thus cannot be talking on the phone, and will probably conclude that I’m just a tad bit weird. And isn’t that the truth.