iPod

I am not a fan of technology and I basically hate computers. Nothing makes me feel old like a new technology my 11 year old nephew talks about that I have never heard of. Turning 30 can set you a step apart from the newest thing if you want it to BUT there are just as many gadgets out there that we now have use for that we didn't in our 20s.

You might be asking - Who has a blog and hates computers right? I do. I accepted a long time ago that computers and technology are here to stay so I might as well use them. Still acceptance is a long way from embrace. I do not have a myspace page and I can't imagine wanting to "social network" which involves a great deal of telling lies to people you don't care about (from my distant view at least). I do not upgrade my computer until the previous one has died. Same goes with tv and stereo components - usually.

I am addicted to my iPod.

Having an iPod puts my favorite music at my fingertips and allows what feels like a youthful indulgence - the urge to sing and dance while walking down the street. Music is often what motivates me - for my morning workout, the drudgery of grocery shopping or even working through writers block.

My iPod addiction is serious. I often travel without my laptop computer so that I can get a break from work. I carry a portable charger for my iPod and on a recent trip the charger disappeared from my bag (during one of my many search experiences with TSA). So for three days I rationed my iPod usage so that I would have enough battery life left for the return home.

When I returned home from my weekend trip to Orlando, I was not so lucky. You see the day before I came home, my iPod died. When I say died I mean it quit in the middle of a song then started flashing a white light. The guy at the Apple store looked at my iPod then leered at me when he asked "What were you doing when this happened?" I had the distinct impression he was implying something dirty but maybe I'm too old to fathom what pervy thing I could have done that would cause my iPod to go into shock then catatonia.

After his interrogation about my iPod usage habits the genius determined the unit was dead and there was no hope but to bury the thing and replace it (with an upgrade of course). I didn't consider not forking out hundreds of dollars for the replacement - I had to have it.

Still with new & improved iPod in hand I faced a conundrum at the airport the following day. You see, an iPod is worthless with no music or video and while I could replace it, my music was more than 1000 miles away from where I was planning to board a plane.

To make matters worse I was boarding this plane in Orlando on a Sunday. I do not say this to criticize my hometown in any way. But if you have ever tried to fly out of Orlando on a Sunday you know that the plane will be full of tourists returning home, often from a week of Disney. Children normally make noise but after a week of heat, sunshine and over-stimulation they tend to be cranky if not downright obnoxious. Boarding a plane with dozens of tots from infant to teens is not my idea of a relaxing way to end any weekend. Without my iPod to drown them out, the experience was excruciating.

I should tell you that children aren't the only annoyance on a packed flight from Orlando. The parents get pretty crabby too - wouldn't you after the sugar, caffeine and faux happiness showered on Orlando visitors for hours on end?!

Needless to say I realized 2 things on my flight
1. I am happy being addicted to my iPod
2. Being 30 doesn't make me old but it does make me glad I'm no longer an annoying teenager