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Thunderstorms in the evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 61F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

You are nobody unless you own a pair of too-cool earbuds or headphones. Well actually, you’re nobody if you don’t own earphones — no matter the style or price.

I’ve been nobody for a long, long, long time.

There are myriad reasons for my non-cool, nobody status.

One: I’ve never been a fan of putting anything inside my ears.

Two: I would not feel safe when wearing earbuds while biking and running outdoors.

Three: It drives me crazy when I see earbud-wearing parents, grandparents, and babysitters pushing babies and toddlers in strollers while listening and talking into their earphones.

Unless he or she is asleep, it’s essential to talk and engage with the child — no matter the age.

Even if I did like them, but I don’t, In-ear headphones aren’t a good fit for my ears. Trust me, I’ve tried them.

When I am home alone and cleaning my house, I usually crank up the volume on my Bluetooth speaker. Dancing through dismal chores makes for quick work.

On the occasional day that Gary has been home and working in his study, I have tried to keep the noise level at zero by borrowing his iPods. Yes, we’ve shared earwax. Disgusting, I know.

But his iPods slow me down. Instead of dancing and cleaning, I spend my time retrieving the buds. They fall out of my ears — right, then left, then right again. It’s exhausting.

To be fair, maybe it’s not the earphones’ fault. Maybe the insides of my ears are abnormally shaped. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had the opportunity to peer into the deep canals that lead into the sides of my head.

The good news? I solved my earbud issues. With the help of my daughter Kristen, I discovered bone-conducting headphones.

She had a pair. I tried them.

In short, bone conduction technology bypasses the eardrum and sends vibrations to the inner ear through the skull. The headphones aren’t two separate buds that go inside the ear, but a sleek, one-piece, ultra-lightweight, wireless device that loops from behind the head and over each ear.

I invested in a good pair — still cheaper than Apple’s iPods, but with no sacrifice in sound quality. And the best part? I’m not going to lose them because they never, as in ever, fall off my head. Nor do they fall out of my ears because they aren’t in my ears.

My bone-conducting headphones allow me to hear the outside world while I listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks. I also use them for Zoom meetings.

Now, I can hear traffic while I’m biking or exercising, and I am aware when someone or something tries to get my attention. And the “outside” noises don’t interfere with my listening content.

Kristen is an ENT PA. ENT people know a lot about ears. When she showed me her headphones, she said she chose them for many of the same reasons that I like them.

But she also said that they are better for one’s ears in general than earbuds. Research supports her opinion.

Bone-conducting headphones are less likely to damage the hearing nerve. Also, because they fit over the ear, but not inside it, there is no risk of infection.

Now that I have a pair of too-cool headphones, I suppose I’m somebody, a safe somebody who is back to bebopping when she cleans the house.

Email comments and questions to Genny McCutcheon at genrmac@gmail.com.

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