iPods: Sound Great, But Here's the Problem...

It was about a month ago when tragedy happened.

I charged my iPod the night before, or so I thought. The morning after, on my commute to work, I turn on my iPod only to find that there was not ONE SONG on there. Apparently I didn't sync it properly.

The result?
One of the most painful commutes of my life.

That's right--a commute with NO MUSIC.

Remember those days? You know, the days before we were able to walk from one place to another, travel on a bus or in a car or subway, and be ok without having those little white headphones stuck in our eardrums?


Today, not having an iPod is like not having a Facebook. It has become the social norm. Whether it's jamming out to Dave Matthews Band, Disney songs, or both (gotta love the Shuffle feature), iPods have defined our generation. We've gotten to the point where if we're by ourself, we can't even shop without music to our ears, where it looks like we're lost if we sit in a cafe by ourselves without thousands of songs at our disposal.

But the sad thing about the iPod is, like the Internet, we completely isolate ourselves from the rest of the world.

Ohh..cute guy over there on the train..but oh..he's wearing an iPod..I shouldn't bother him.

Ohh! That's a friend I know from high school! As I shout her name, she doesn't respond, as I realize she can't even hear me.
She's probably thankful, because I know I'd rather be listening to my iPod than get stuck in a small-talk conversation during my commute!

So as I sat there on the train that day I didn't have music, I felt lost. I was almost tempted to put my earphones in to PRETEND I was listening to music, a true sign I've become used to disconnecting myself from others. Sad, I know. But as I got off the train, and walked on the streets of New York, the sounds of horns beeping and street vendors helped remind me of what the sounds of life is like. In fact, it was almost refreshing.

If only they turned that into a song I can put on my iPod, I'd listen to it again.