iRant

So I'm feeling pretty good, pretty pleasant on this nice little Sunday afternoon.

What better time for a rant about another evil I see in the world? (yes, I think I am disturbed).

However, this rant is at least salvaged somewhat by the fact that it is rooted in a deeply held belief in the goodness of people (and a discussion with Claire).

Maybe it's because I'm from a small town. Maybe it's because I'm from out West. Maybe there's just something about the water in Grand Junction and drinking the snow pack's ambrosia before it gets contaminated by crossing the state line.

But where I'm from, people -- get this, EVEN STRANGERS -- are generally nice to each other. Now, we're not like one of those stupidly ridiculous '50s movies (where everybody is so overcome with joy that they simply must whistle to let it out), but it is quite common to smile at someone as you pass them -- and for them to return it. And, most importantly, it is legitimately genuine. Sometimes, when we're feeling really crazy, we might even utter a friendly "hello." But at the least, eye contact avoidance is considered rude -- not the norm.

Unlike here. Now I first noticed the phenomenon well before the iPod craze, so it certainly is not to blame. And don't get me wrong, I am absolutely, positively, undoubtedly going to marry Apple. My love affair with this company is longstanding, has led to a hatred of all things PC, and is rivaled only by my infatuation with Google. As well, I recognize the absolute awesomeness of music, and the extreme necessity it can be. It can make the school day so much better.

Still, iPod has made a bad situation incredibly worse.

People have become zombies, slaves to their music.

Walking across campus, for me, is like trekking through the epitomical zone of modernity. Nobody cares to carry out the simple, traditional hallmarks of our culture, of society, of humanity, preferring instead to hear the latest Gwen Stefani song. Ok, so that's a bad example, but you get my point.

Even when you see your friends, the exchanges are unnatural, altered, awkward. You may try to talk, but they can't hear you. You don't know if they'd rather stop to talk or keep on grooving. Normal conversation rarely follows when their headphone, recently and laboriously removed, dangles annoyingly, still blaring. And of course, should you happen to see a friend a good distance away, no longer is a call across the quad a veritable recourse. To me, this is sad.

I just wish there were a way for both, or really that people would just make an effort to balance the two better. After all, the degradation/disappearance of normal human interaction cannot be a healthy development. At least it seems that way to me. This is, however, coming from a man with some pretty unorthodox socializing practices, so maybe I am just a lost voice howling in the wilderness.

Hell, with your sweet new pink iPod that can hold 10,000 songs (and if you lacked any one of them, well you would just simply DIE), you probably can't hear me anyways.

okay. done. iPoligize.