Of all the things that frustrate me about interacting with humans, this one reaches the top of the list.

What is it about wearing headphones that makes people think you are ready and willing to have a conversation? Wearing headphones represents the exact opposite.

If I had a dollar for every time someone has tried to converse with me when I'm wearing headphones, I'd be rich.

I laugh internally when I've got headphones on and someone starts trying to talk to me, but gets frustrated that I can't hear them. I'm wearing headphones; I'm probably listening to music, a video, an audiobook or some other type of recording, so of course I can't hear you. What made you think I could?

People just love to try to get my attention when I'm walking. I don't know why they do, but it really annoys me.

I wear headphones to listen to music a lot of the time when traveling by foot. One time I was doing so while heading to a group meeting at one of the campus libraries of my university, and a guy stopped me to ask me what the time was. It's not like I was the only person around. There were plenty of other people he could have asked who weren't trying to block out the world.

There are also the varying people who come to my university's campus attempting to get unsuspecting students interested in their beliefs. I have been stopped twice by the same guy trying to get me to donate money for some religious beliefs I've never heard of before.That doesn't include the hardcore Christians who hand out miniature Bibles to students or hold signs while yelling at the top of their lungs to passerby's. Then there are students who set up booths trying to give out information about a club, program, or event.

Now, I purposely go out of my way to avoid walking past anyone who even remotely looks like they might try to stop me in my tracks or catch my attention because headphones aren't enough to deter people and leave me in peace.

Even at home there are times when I'll be laying in bed, with headphones on of course, relaxed and listening to a quiet, calm ASMR video until one of my parents decides to barge into my closed room and proceed to talk for 10 minutes about something I can never remember. What's the deal? Can it really not wait?

I don't get it. Headphones aren't a public announcement that I'm in the mood to communicate. Could my space be respected so that I'm left alone with the peace I was after?