Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
I left my house this morning on a mission to find something that had become rather scarce at my house, peace and quiet. Not only are my in-laws visiting but all three kids are at home with the stomach flu. You’d think illness would quiet them down but it seems to have the opposite effect and they tackle boredom by running the television, game cube and stereo all at the same time. To top it off, my wife is obsessed with her new vacuum cleaner and decided that today was the day she was going to rid our entire house of cobwebs. I decided to go to the one place on earth where silence is golden, the library. I longed for the peaceful sound of…nothing, broken only by the occasional shushing of an elderly librarian when someone turned a page too vigorously.
Little did I know that quite a lot had changed in the world of hardcover books and the dewy decimal system. I sat down at an empty table and had just opened my book when my ears were accosted by the sound of a crying child, followed by the sound of childish laughter and then alternating shrieks and giggles. To my horror, my seat was located right next to the children’s section and it was story hour. After I finished listening to “Where the Wild Things Are,” it’s one of my favorites, I moved to the reference section where I was sure to find stressed out students silently cramming for mid terms. Wrong again. My table partner was a disheveled looking soul who was reciting the entire “Q” section of Encyclopedia Britannica to his invisible friends, OUTLOUD. I moved once more to a table near a window only to be treated to the sound of a jackhammer just outside.
The library of my youth was no more. The new fangled library may have computers and leather lounge chairs but it lacks the most important ingredient, quiet. Where was beloved Mrs. Yakovitch who would shoot daggers to anyone who dared speak above a whisper? It was then that I came to the sad realization that even the library, the last bastion of quiet contemplation, was filled with noise. It’s a loud, loud world and most of us would like a little relief from the noise of the day. That’s why Rush Imprint offers Noise Reduction Ear Buds that produce white noise to help reduce surrounding sounds. Simply pop in the inconspicuous ear buds and you are instantly treated to the sweet sound of silence. They can also be connected to a computer or MP3 player if you prefer a soundtrack. The ear buds make a great gift for customers and potential clients because everyone can use a little white noise.
I’m off to the dentist to get a root canal. Don’t feel too sorry for me, at least I don’t have to have dinner with the in-laws.