I have a short commute to the office. Just 12 minutes one way. Yes, I am very grateful for it. The only downside to this short commute is that it does not render enough time for me to finish listening to all my podcasts. And I listen to a lot of podcasts.

So my podcast playlist automatically updates and never ends. The phone automatically connects to the car radio and seamlessly continues where I left off. I am very happy with this set up, but it leaves no room for music listening.

Most of the podcasts I listen to are very well produced. They have a theme music that adds well to the mood and sentiment of the story. Some are fictional, some entertainment, and some are intellectually stimulating.

However, none of them seem to serve the purpose that music plays in my life.

I can tell after a month or so of podcast listening that my attention starts to drift. Things start to feel colorless and dry in my head. I have learned to sense this... this feeling... my brain asking for music. So I quit the podcast app and switch on the music app.

I find an album that interests me. I start at the first song. I let it play in order and I repeat the whole album for a couple of times. Like the cassette player days. And things feel right again.

Currently I am listening to the excellent album Woman by Rhye. I will back to listening to my podcasts in a week or so.

I don't know the intellectual explaination to this need my brain exhibits. It is a need on the self-care spectrum, not on the entertainment end of the spectrum.

I have just learned to listen.