I'm hot and cold, my fingers are shaking. No, I'm not about to give a speech in front of a large audience. The reason for my rapid pulse is my AirPods, which I've misplaced again. I hastily rummage in my empty trouser pocket, extending the search radius to my jacket. "Is everything OK?" the cashier asks me anxiously. I'm often asked this question at the till, as I remove my right earbud every time I pay out of politeness and don't find it again straight away. Of course, I could just be ignorant and leave my headphones in my ear, but my upbringing doesn't allow that. That's why I've resolved to stow my right earbud in my front trouser pocket as soon as I take it off. So far, unfortunately, in vain. My clothes and accessories offer me too many alternatives - I can't find the earbud because of all the pockets.
I'm not alone with this problem: the Apple brand is making a million-dollar business with the loss of its true wireless headphones. Once AirPods, always AirPods - anyone who loses a pair of headphones immediately buys a replacement. With their compact design, this can happen. A saleswoman at my favourite Migros store once told me that she regularly loses individual earbuds at the checkout.
Since I no longer want to spend my free time looking for my AirPods, I need a quick solution
here. Rummaging through my things, I come across a glasses chain that I had previously spurned. Will it work with wireless headphones? I pull my earbud through the loop of the glasses chain and tighten the elastic. Now I give the chain a jerky shake to check whether the earpiece is actually holding. And it does. The chain also passes the practical test. For the first time, I do my commissions without a headset-induced panic attack. Shopping hasn't been this stress-free for a long time - if I hadn't had to frantically search for my keys outside the front door. [[image:34122399]]
