How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the iPod

shuffle me, baby, yeah!

I have recently discovered the wonders of the iPod. For one, I really like typing "iPod." I feel so dirty typing a lower case letter before the capital. It makes me feel like a rebel. There's an entire instant-messaging world out there with a blatant lack of respect for the capital letter--a world in which e. e. cummings would s.t.a. (stand tall and proud). The words for which my pinky finger will still dutifully stretch out for the shift key? God, Bible, and iPod.

I purchased the iPod 20 GB in order to pack my 200+ cds into the lining pocket of my purse for the move. iTunes stopped counting my library music in hours 75 cds ago. It now announces "1886 songs, 5.2 days, 6.96 GB." 5.2 days! It's a life goal of mine now to last on shuffle mode for 5.2 days and listen to every track. I'll keep you updated. We'll stick in a sidebar counter. "One down and only 3.6 to go."

And speaking of shuffle mode, I believe that might be my favorite feature. I don't like it enough to buy just the iPod Shuffle. There's a control factor involved in the original iPod. If I'm listening to Queen's "You're My Best Friend" and it reminds me of James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend," I don't have to wade through three nocturnes, a Batman theme song, and Ben Harper's "Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now" to get to it.

Shuffle mode is like squeezing the last ounce of toothpaste out of the tube. It's responsible and efficient and minty fresh.

Shuffle mode is an equal opportunity employer. Larry Norman, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Lucinda Williams each get paid diddly-squat to serve onion rings and mop the floors until it's their turn to take the stage.

Shuffle mode is the international language of love. In German, it is Zufaellige Titel--literally, shuffled titles. "Now playing..." translates "You're hearing..."

Other areas of my life that I wish I could put on shuffle:
5) my closet -- I would love to wake up wearing that blue shirt that always gets hidden at the back or those jeans that I have totally forgotten I own.
4) language -- today we're going to speak croatian.
3) old friends -- Aubrey came to see me last week. Who knows who would be next... Cade? Jamie? Bobbie? Kim? I would get to see everyone in a shuffle period of at least three months.
2) the bed that Amy's cat pees on -- it's usually mine.
1) books -- maybe then I'd finally make it all the way through Moby Dick and have the guts to sell Max Lucado in the garage sale.