I am definitely not the first, nor will I be the last to thank Dr. Jaap Haartsen from the very bottom of my heart. The invention of the Bluetooth technology by this super talented gentleman and his team of dedicated engineers has truly revolutionized the way ordinary mortals like me listen to, enjoy and share music.

Music is my escape, music gives me solace, music is my strength. Someone once said when words fail, music speaks. Nothing can be truer. My state of mind determines what I hear. My music cheers me, motivates me, calms me.

The weekend after Thanksgiving I spent in the company of patients at a nearby convalescent home. A small facility with about 12-15 beds. Last summer my grandmother had spent almost a fortnight there recovering from her hip replacement surgery and my regular visits to her had helped me establish a special bond with her fellow inmates. Interacting with people of that generation created a deep impression on my mind, successfully removed some very silly notions that I had inculcated and taught me empathy. I decided back then that I would make a sincere effort to visit the home regularly and spend quality time with the convalescing elders and at the same time learn from their varied experiences.

It was in the midst of one of the visits that we got talking on music. We discussed genres, different artists, musical instruments and everything else, before you knew the evening had passed by and it was time to head home. So, on the visit after Thanksgiving I prepared a surprise for them, I prepared a collective playlist of all their favorites and carried along the ALL WEATHER AQUA SOUND WATERPROOF BLUE TOOTH SPEAKERS. Some on the inmates were fit enough to gather in the lounge and spend the evening in each other’s company while others were confined to their rooms, sadly missing the fun- filled evening.

The reactions of each and every one of them was priceless. I can close my eyes and visualize the sequence as the room came to life. First their eyes lit up with joy as they recognized their favorite song, then the gentle tapping of the foot on the floor or the free arm on the handle of their wheelchair. In no time there was a full-fledged burst of voice and the room resounded with their happy voices. It was truly an emotionally fulfilling moment for me when their playlist came to life.

Not very well versed with technology they eagerly wanted to know how I had managed to collect all their favorite songs and play it for them so beautifully. An explanation followed as to how I had their favorites stored in the memory of my phone and I had used the Bluetooth technology to sync the phone to the speaker and from there flowed their favorites. Explanation complete, some understood while others merely nodded their heads awestruck. Not wanting to waste any more time or miss out on an opportunity to enjoy their favorites again they went back to their energetic singing.