As I wander around the streets of State College -- eyes and ears open -- I can't help but notice that a new must-have accessory has replaced the traveling coffee, imitation Burberry scarf and oversized pair of shades.

I never though I'd live to see the day, but it seems that headphones have recently taken the place of cellular phones in the "hot technical gadget department." Headphones connected to MP3 players that is; and more specifically the "ear buds" that come with iPods, iPod Nanos and iPod Shuffles.

It seems that nearly everyone at Penn State left for winter break with a few more credits under their belts and came back with iPods (if they didn't already have them).

I guess the whole town has taken the words of the Doobie Brothers hit song "Listen to the Music" quite literally. It seems that people can't get enough tunes at their apartments or dorms, so they have to carry their music library with them to squeeze in a song or two whenever they can.

Hundreds of people, headphones crammed in their ears, eyes glazed over, walk the streets of College Avenue and board Blue and White Loops, oblivious to their surroundings, lost in their own thoughts. These musical zombies are cut off from normal social interaction and are deaf to outside noise.

As magical as it seems to be able to live my own "movie soundtrack," I just can't bring myself to seal off my sense of hearing to songs I can listen to any old anytime.

My MP3 player stays in my bag all day except for when I hit the gym, when it becomes absolutely necessary for me to let the sick beats of Luda and Nelly motivate me into perspiration. However, the minute I finish my workout the music goes off and I step back out into reality.

I don't think this is a case of "who loves music more." We all love music and have our favorite songs we just cannot live without, but I don't think it is necessary to wear ear buds 24/7 to prove I just can't get enough Death Cab. I prefer a different type of music -- the music of the world around me.

This may be strange, but I actually like to listen to the crunch of the leaves under my feet, the birds chirping, Old Main's chimes, the hum of traffic, friends laughing and even rain falling. I find it amusing to catch bits and pieces of people's conversations in passing.

Trust me -- college kids say the darnest things. These may seem like small, silly things, but they usually put a smile on my face and a spring in my winter-weary step.

I'm not saying that throwing the headphones on every once in a while is bad. We all need music sometimes to get us through the hard days, or the stressful times, but I think being in touch with your surroundings is also important.

I've had the embarrassing experience of calling out to an acquaintance on the street and getting completely ignored because he or she was listening to a song on his or her iPod. Talk about a harsh diss. Could it be that people would actually prefer their music to the greeting of a familiar friend? I would like to think not, but I am getting more and more uncertain with every new pair of ear buds I see.

I can listen to my '80s mix whenever I want; I know it will be there tomorrow. But will the sound of a pick-up game of basketball, drunken chants and wind through the trees be heard tomorrow? Maybe not. These, unlike virtually timeless digital music, are fleeting and impermanent. They are little noises that let us know we are alive and are so much more meaningful and beautiful to me than the lyrics of any song.

So keep you iPods handy for those times when anything but music just won't due, but maybe try to keep an ear open for the extraordinary in the everyday.