Audiobook Theory of Relativity

Einstein said E=MC squared (I can't make that superscript 2 in Blogger). Isn't that the Theory of Relativity? I think it's something about time and how fast it goes--or slow--or how if you go into space you may meet yourself coming back as your own grandmother. I'm sure some physicist out there will take me to task for butchering Albert's fine idea this way, but I do know that he was concerned about time and how it works.

I know something about time and how to make it go faster. From personal experience, I know that when you are driving alone for long distances or commuting several hours a day (as I did for my last job before I retired), time goes VERY slowly. I have taken many lengthy solo car trips (primarily because I am too chicken to fly) and have experimented with ways to make time go faster. (Actually I have not experimented; this is just based on personal anecdotal reports.)

You would think that listening to music would make time go faster when driving, but it doesn't. Yes, I enjoy listening to music when I drive (mostly classical or show tunes), but music, I believe, keeps you "in the moment." You feel the rhythm as you register every road sign, every scenic item, every other car and driver on the road, as each moment goes by in time to the beat, beat, beat, of the tom-tom or whatever song is playing. When the song is over, you are only a few miles further down the Interstate and you realize it. Also, I believe music is great when you are travelling with a companion because then it serves as a great background for marvelous conversation (which is another fantastic method for speeding up time).

Now, with audiobooks, time behaves differently when you are driving by yourself. Somehow, you lose track of your surroundings and become enmeshed in the story. Your brain can handle this multi-tasking activity easily. Your mind processes the data from your eyes about your road situation, while it also processes the story unfolding from the data provided through your ears. You become engaged in the story and you lose track of time and, soon you have arrived at your destination (maybe even before the story ends--that is annoying. What is great is if you arrive EXACTLY as the story ends. If the story ends before you arrive, I advise that you wait a while and listen to music a bit before starting a new audiobook; your brain needs time to decompress.)

You might wonder if listening to audiobooks could become so engrossing that a driver might become too involved in the story and fail to pay attention to road conditions. I believe not, as I have driven for many years, many thousands of miles while listening to audiobooks, often with tears streaming down my cheeks, a lump in my throat, and have NEVER had a mishap. In fact, I believe I am a better driver when listening to audiobooks because my eyes are glued to the road as if it were the storyteller and I am waiting in rapt attention for every word.

So, if you have to take a long road trip by yourself or are heading off into space all alone for many thousands of years, why not follow the Audiobook Theory of Relativity and "read" while you drive. Albert would be proud.