As I walked through the hills north of Linz, I passed perhaps 20 people either out walking or working in their gardens. I couldn't help but think about the over 200,000 people down below me surrounded by the sights and sounds of the city and wonder what percentage of them have ever taken the time to step outside the city limits and gain a new perspective. Maybe it's too scary to give the mind a chance to wander and think about new things. Society today seems completely content to live in a shell. Regardless of whether I'm on public transportation, exercising by the river or just walking down the street, I constantly see people with earphones in listening to something other than their surroundings and their thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to music, but I think that there is also a place for listening and absorbing what is around you. Had I been intent upon being wrapped up in my own world I would have missed the song bird's melody and the hum of the bees in the clover and the old gentleman's quiet greeting from his garden, and it was those very things that refreshed me. So here's my challenge: put away the ipod for a day and see what you hear. You might find you'll never go back!