The Ubiquitous iPod

Sarah got her second iPod for Christmas, bringing our household total to three. We started with two Shuffles (the big ones - the size of a pack of gum - not the new ones, which are the size of a single Chicklet), and now we've added the Nano(RED). I love the PRODUCT(RED) campaign for the simple fact that it has turned altruism into an aspirational brand. I generally disdain the voracious consumerism that is pushed upon us nowadays, but if consumption can be focused to benefit The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, then by all means people, hit the malls. And so far, the campaign seems to be working.

At first I resisted the iPod phenomenon. I saw those little white earbuds as yet another way that individuals isolate themselves from their environments, to our collective detriment. Do we really need constant entertainment? Can we not enjoy the sounds of our surroundings, or take advantage of the quiet in order to ponder our existence? Or at least what to make for dinner?

That was before I flew to DC beside a talker. And not just any talker - a Vietnam vet who had lost his mind, but didn't seem to realize it. I adhered to the stereotype that Vietnam vets were scarred by their experiences and generally reticent about the subject. This guy, however, shared fond recollections of Saigon prostitutes whose services could be had for a quarter. "A quarter! Can you imagine that? It was great!" And the women received a bonus if they filled a teacup by the end of the day. Not with quarters, mind you. I'll let you figure it out.

I learned then that some situations beg for insulation from your surroundings. I looked across the aisle at the guy wearing the white earbuds, and I lamented the fact that my simple magazine offered so little protection. I was grateful that I had brought my Shuffle along on my flight back from Michigan Wednesday morning, when I sat next a woman whose job somehow involved raisin growers and NASCAR. My wackometer was heading into the red, so when she engaged the neighbor to her left, I immediately plugged in those earbuds and breathed a sigh of relief. I'll stick to my own form of madness, thank you very much.