Monday, April 13, 2015

Dancing With Ourselves

We've all been there: It's mid-afternoon at the office. You have grading to get through. Or maybe just the last ten minutes of your office hours to kill before you can go home. So you plug in the headphones and listen to a little of your favorite music to pass the time.

Or maybe, just maybe, you've finished a night class, and you're the only one in the building, and you don't bother with the headphones. Maybe you even sing a little tune under your breath while walking in the hall. Because you're happy.

Or maybe, just maybe, like the guy in the office next to mine, you habitually play music through the speakers of your computer in the middle of the day. Maybe you sing along. Maybe the music is Phil Collins. Or Bon Jovi. Or Night Ranger.

And maybe, when your next-door neighbor comes over and asks you to turn it down, you do. But maybe that request is forgotten the very next time you are in your office.

Or maybe none of this applies to any of us. But for some reason, I seem to have had the lyrics to "Sister Christian" stuck in my head for the past week. And it's not making me happy.

5 comments:

Krista Heiser said...

Working in an office with thin walls, I often can hear every word, sniffle, and paper shuffle of my coworkers. Headphones help, especially if I turn them up really loud. Not sure if that's an option for you, but it might be worth a try. Unless you secretly enjoy "Sister Christian" more than this post seems to suggest.

AliceAcademic said...

Have you tried the Noisli site? It is a noise generator that seems to magically drown out office sounds, plus it won't disturb your colleagues either: http://www.noisli.com/

jo(e) said...

I sing in the car on the way home. In the winter, no one can hear me. But then when the warmer weather comes, I'll be stopped at a traffic light and suddenly realize that someone in the car next to me is giving me odd looks.

Curt Emanuel said...

Last Thursday was the first time I was able to open my (first floor office) windows - gorgeous day. I'd just finished a web conference so the headset was already on and I fired up some tunes. No problem with folks in the building but apparently singing along (badly) to The Who caught the attention of several folks walking by. It was the young lady who started laughing that made me stop.

Historiann said...

HA-hahahahaha!!!!

There are worse ear worms than "Sister Christian," however I can't think of any of them at this moment.

Billy Don't be a Hero? MacArthur Park?