Got Your Walkman On Walking Down Big Spring St?

It was today back in 1979 that Sony debuted the Walkman. A fantastic invention that allowed you to take your favorite radio stations with you with headphones wherever you went. And--your favorite cassette. I say singular cassette, because unless you carried some kind of bag or fanny pack, or your pants had large pockets--there was only enough room for one in the unit. But I mostly listened to radio anyway and didn't worry much about the cassette part. Nothing better than going for a walk or a bike ride (never much of a 'jogger') and having your favorite tunes with you to enjoy!

Of course-the headphones were on the delicate side so you had to be careful not to constantly drop them or step on them accidentally--and the cables were pretty thin too so you had to be careful not to stretch them or twist them or they'd short one ear out. But it was the start of portable music with headphones that allowed for future generations to bring along I-Pods and ear buds and nowadays-wireless ear buds. I see people here in the Permian walking around with ear buds all the time, every day. At Midland Park Mall, walking down Wall Street downtown, or riding a bike along the Loop 250... Everyone has their tunes with them these days-which wouldn't have been possible without the first invention that made it all a reality.

So today as you walk your route or get thru your workday listening to Lonestar 92.3 on the app with your ear buds--let's remember the original ear buds and say a little thank you--out loud.