October 10, 2023: Protect your hearing and shop barefoot in the city
October 10, 2023. I woke up, still lying there, disturbed by a fly. I imagined being in this room from the perspective of that fly, flying around. The visualization of the room, all the objects, and my lying body felt so real, as if I had penetrated into the fly with my mind. Lately, I've noticed that my imagination is getting stronger.
I smelled my armpits. They emitted a strong, pungent odor. I ate a lot of whole wheat bread yesterday, including with chocolate spread and reduced-sugar jam, and I noticed that I have a very strong, pungent armpit odor in Borsum after such meals, so I have to reach for the soap.
Mom, after getting rolls and having breakfast, killed flies with the fly swatter. I tried to catch and save the flies before her. I managed to save 2 out of 5 flies.
Then I drove to Hannover. When I got off the tram at Vahrenwalder Platz, a cute girl got off with me. I caught up with her from behind and asked:
"I just saw you on the tram and wondered if you'd like to go on a date with me?"
"No."
"Okay, then not. Bye."
"Bye, but thanks!"
Arriving home, I hesitated briefly before going shopping in the city for the first time, at the Lidl 800 meters away - barefoot. Surprisingly, although I encountered many more people in the city, the passersby I met showed little interest in my feet. Even in the store, everyone went about their business.
In the book "Move Your DNA," I read a chapter about hearing and learned that loud, constant noises (e.g., in the city, in a club, even a loud phone ringing) trigger stress in us. The result of deteriorating hearing is that suddenly you realize everyone is mumbling, cars are creeping up on you, and you can't hear life's relatively quiet sounds anymore, making you paranoid and accident-prone.
The best way to protect your hearing is to be attentive and recognize that it's too loud when you believe it's too loud. Then I googled more about hearing damage and learned that even smoking is a significant risk factor for hearing loss. I don't want that anymore. Smoking is so harmful to the body; I don't want it anymore. So, I resolved: Never bum cigarettes and smoke again.
Learning: Avoid loud noises (e.g., in nightclubs, at construction sites) as much as possible.