Expectant Delivery

I'm loathe to consider myself materialistic, and yet every now and again, I act otherwise. In a funk? Well, why not treat myself to a pair of jeans, courtesy of my Saks gift card? Got a big date? This red sweater - on sale, no less - will look fabulous with my suede shoes. Realized that everyone in the whole wide world seems to have an iPod? Gosh darnit, I want one too. And so I began my obsession with ebay and found a great deal on a 20GB iPod that is currently on a FedEx truck, en route to my waiting, loving arms.

Now, I know that possessions can't buy happiness or love, and that turning to retail therapy isn't necessarily a healthy way of de-funktifying one's self. Further, I'm not a label whore by any means; my Tar-jhey sweater is folded nicely next to my TSE Cashmere wooliness. And yet the lure of the iPod; well, let's just say I couldn't deny myself something that perfect.

I am beyond elated for its arrival, can't wait to catch a glimpse of its perfect white plasticness with sensitive touchpad controls and the ability to hold basically every one of my MP3 CD's that are presently sitting on my Darling Roommate's desk (in case he wants to add a Damien Rice tune to his currently in-progress Heavy Metal Ballad Mix.) I can't wait to pontificate "The Weight of the World" with The Samples, increase the level on the elliptical machine while jamming to "Friday I'm in Love" (especially on a Friday) and put the top down on my beloved Saab-alamobile while iTrip beams "Red Red Wine" into my stereo. Oh, Joy! Oh, Jubilation! Oh, iPod Goodness!

Music has always been a mainstay in my life, something I attribute to my family. My Grandfather shared his beautiful baritone with the church choir every week, my Dad's band was featured in Time/Life Magazine, and my Mom is constantly coercing me to join her in a piano duet when I'm at home. Music has always come easily to me; I could play a song by ear on the piano after just a few tries and (please, no "American Pie" jokes) I was first chair in the middle school flute section. And yes, I went to band camp.

I've always coupled music with different events in my life; "Go Your Own Way" was in constant rotation when I was feeling sad about my Lacrosse Crush taking up with someone else, I was a lowly seventh grader who always wanted to dance with the most popular boy to "Love Bites", and "More than Words" played on a tape single when I kissed my first boy. And today, when hearing these songs, they invariably evoke the feelings associated with them from days gone by.

But back to the iPod! I feel like an expectant mother, anxiously awaiting the big delivery, counting the dials & functions instead of fingers and toes to ensure that it's healthy. I've prepared for its arrival, getting a protective carrying case, iTrip to increase its breadth, and the superduper wonderfulness that the earbuds will bring. Yes, I am counting the minutes until I can welcome my delivery! In fact, consider this an announcement of the newest addition to the Sabala/Darling Roommate/Cats family.

And I couldn't be more proud.

Comments

[greebs]

Aside from TiVO, the iPod is just the greatest invention ever. Even the box it comes in is beautiful. Congrats on your new addition...

[paris]

I am the same way with everything I see and MUST have.

[josh]

That was a truly excellent post.

[Steve]

Now you will have a reason to visit the ipodlounge:

http://www.ipodlounge.com/

[Tan]

You must be reading my mind...congrats on your purchase :)

[Andrew]

Don't listen to those dreamers who say that the happiest day of your life is the day you get married. No no no. It is two weeks later when the department store delivers a truck full of presents from the wedding list.

[hollismb]

I read an interesting article about the iPod phenomenon not too long ago. Here's part of it (and sorry for taking up so much space. Feel free to trim or delete):

"The iPod is the modern-day equivalent of the Samurai sword.

It is a bit emasculating to admit this, but portable electronics have replaced sidearms in our culture. I draw upon the Japanese katana for my analogy for several reasons. First, the katana was much more than a mere weapon or cutting tool. It was a portable symbol of status, power, and class. The warrior class, the Samurai, were actually quite numerous. At their height they were nearly 10% of the population of Japan. Before 1876, wearing the katana conveyed to the casual observer that the wearer of the long and short swords possessed a rank and status of an elite group.

The katana contained the highest technology available at the time. The bulk of Japan’s military resources were focused upon advancing the metallurgy of the curved sword, and developing effective techniques to use it in the most efficient way. Even today, modern science has not matched the ancient labor-intensive technique of folding and quenching that aligned the steel’s molecules the way that a master Japanese swordmaker could. The world of weaponry stands humble in the face of the matchless quality and perfection of the Japanese katana, which metallurgically or artistically, has no peer.

The simple fact that people are willing to pay hundreds of dollars more for an iPod, when equal technology is available in a less impressive-looking package, points directly to this analogy. People will pay more for a status symbol, and in doing so, they have made the iPod one of the most important cultural icons today.

The iPod is indeed beautiful, artfully designed, and really still is quite impressive technologically speaking. One of the most intriguing things to me remains that even though the headphones that come with it are of famously poor quality, people seem to hang onto them, since they seem to say, “I am a charter member of the iPod fraternity!”

Finally, the Samurai warrior also believed that his katana contained his eternal soul, but you’d have to be a really big James Brown fan for your iPod to do that."

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal too!

[jes]

I agree with greebs, the box my iPod came in is decorating my apartment. The iPod is pretty magnificant. Enjoy.