My headphones saved my life

The AO Safety "Work Tunes" Ear muffs can be found online to purchase. They are meant for construction workers but having Aspergers, I use them to dampen the noisy world around me.

The modern world is not kind to people on the autistic spectrum. We are surrounded by noisy machines that constantly beep at us all day long.

A year back I purchased a pair of AO Safety Ear Muffs at Lowes in an effort to dampen the world around me. I must say they are the number one weapon against the onslaught of sound and many of the triggers that go along with it.

I began to feel self conscious walking around with earmuffs on but the peace I attained overrode that. These days I have no issue walking around Wal-Mart or Ingles with the industrial strength headphones on. This model actually has a radio built in so it looks like you're listening to music. People see the antenna and don't ask questions. 

I like the radio feature a lot. The ear muffs do a great job of dampening sound on their own. If you are trying to mask a particularly annoying sound you can play the radio at a very low level and it will work with the sound deadening material in the muffs to shut out the world around you. There is also a line-in jack so you can hook an iPod with soothing music and completely reverse a hectic store environment to your advantage.

Most of these models are rated for 22 decibels. You can achieve even more by first putting in 'roll-up' ear plugs and then donning the ear muffs. I don't do that often as it creates a lot of pressure in my head.

I always chuckle and remember the Bjork song from the 90's, "My headphones saved my life."  I often hear that every time I go into a store with these massive things on my head. Has society really advanced when we are assaulted by mechanical noise hundreds of times each day? I say we have a long way to go.