THE ACCIDENTAL JOY OF RUNNING WITHOUT HEADPHONES

I'M FUMING. I rummage through my work tote, turn my workout bag inside out, lift every notebook on my desk, go through the pockets of every piece of clothing in my zone of vision, then my tote again... It's 5 p.m. I'm standing in the middle of the office dressed for a run, but my AirPods are nowhere to be found-and I can't possibly leave without them!

Unless I join other people, you'll not catch me running without headphones. I value my safety, so I keep the volume down and run on trails or sidewalks where I don't have to be on high alert because of traffic, but I need the distraction. I will even wait around for my AirPods to charge if I must, or go old-school with a corded pair if time is against me. I hate the ways the cord pulls and tangles and twirls, but I hate the silence more.

I could go home and find my AirPods, but by the time I do that, all I'll think about is dinner, and I can't run when I'm hungry. I'd have to wait to digest the food, and that wouldn't happen until really late, which would be too close to bedtime. It's obvious to me that it's now or never.