Life in HiFi

Arriving at the school house with a bit of time to spare I began dicking around with the EQ settings on my IPod and recently acquired car stereo in an effort to elicit the most pleasing tonal qualities from my favorite mix tape.  In doing so I ran across one of life’s great truths.  We all suffer from split personalities.  No one can deny that the person you are at work is far from a mirror image of that person you allow yourself to be within the security of your own home.  Beyond the comfort afforded in being surrounded by people who are less likely to judge semi-tragic behavior, there is a manner with which we conduct ourselves at our place of employment that our loved ones would likely find quite foreign.  There are those that split their demeanor even further.  They act a certain way depending on the social situation.  They act differently when they are with friends than they do in front of their own mother.  Be completely honest with yourself and you will find yourself agreeing with what I have to say.

I like to think of it in the same terms as the EQ on my beloved IPod.  I feel a compulsive need to change the settings depending on the variety of music that may be tickling my fancy at that particular moment.  From Acoustic to Rock, R&B to Jazz . . . it seems our relationships follow this same set of presets.  Even though I am seldom let out of my cage, even I have a different tone when I go about my day without a soul around.  I tend to shuffle the faders and crank up the bass.  Upon my arrival at the school to pick up my kids, I switch things around to Easy Listening.  Something mellow, calming . . . soothing.  When it is obvious they have had a tough day and tensions run high, I might even throw in some Classical to set them at ease.  A night out with the wife?  Time for something romantic, maybe even a bit of Salsa.  What preset I choose is influenced by her mood as well.  Knowing the correct balance of treble and bass for any set of circumstances is an art.  We don’t always get it right, but the more we pay attention to the need to adapt to the playlist, the happier we will find ourselves.  Get the balance right and life can be blissful.  Get it wrong and the highs become ear splitting while the booming bass beat will inevitably rupture your spleen.

From one moment to the next, the situation can change and the stereo must be re-tuned.  Rock and Roll might have been well received and invigorating to tired children one day while irritating and overbearing the next.  The same is true for your employer.  Some days you need to crank it up . . . head bang a bit.  Let them know you are coming from a block away.  Other days it is best to blend into the background like elevator muzak.  Life is complicated, no two ways about it.  So, my advice to you is this . . . next time you find yourself in a situation where the tune doesn’t fit, don’t get discourage, just flip over to the b-sides and try something different . . . Reggae maybe.  R.