How I Gave Up My iPod

I have had music players since I was about ten, I’ve had several walkmans, CD players, dodgy MP3 players and two iPods. I’ve hung onto my music player habit with the ferocity of a chain smoker and it’s affected my hearing something dreadful.
So what helped me finally kick my five hour a day habit?
My iPod charger died, suddenly; without warning and my iPod was useless without it (it’s an ancient old thing I got for free from my uncle to replace my last iPod).
My dealer had been taken out and, until I had the cash to find another one, I was bereft and forced into cold turkey. I went through a denial period, desperately plugging in my iPod to get the blimmin’ thing to work, but to no avail, the little red charger light would not even flicker.
I went through the kind of withdrawal symptoms that I suspect smokers go through. I’ve seen similar reaction in my beloved partner after he was forced to go without a cigarette for nearly eight hours on a train to Scotland.
But as ex smokers have to find something to fill that void that once held their disgusting, health damaging vice, so I had to find some other way of escaping into my commuting bubble.
Good God I’ve never got through so many books.
I tend to have lots of books on the go, but because I usually chose my iPod over my book I tended to get through them like a sloth through treacle (i.e very slowly). Now, without my iPod to distract me, I’ve read, in just the last few weeks; Kamikaze Girls, The God Delusion, Billy and My Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time (all of which I heartily recommend) not to mention all seven volumes of Othello (the manga, not the Shakespeare play) and several magazines and newspapers.
I’ve also been able to hear much better to as well as allowing my thoughts to assemble themselves better to inspire and fuel my passion for writing.
So, all in all, it’s been hard work, but worth the hassle. I recommend to all of you; switch off your iPods, mp3 players or whatever it is you crazy kids listen to, and take in the world around you.
Don’t worry, you still don’t have to talk to, look at or touch anyone.