Wednesday, September 13, 2006

iPod's Connection (and Beauty)


September 13, 2006: This morning, I left the hotel relatively early so that I could stop by the Atlanta Bread Company to get a "real" cup of coffee and to spend some down time before the day's meeting.

As I was there, I was listening to my iPod (Frank Deford and KCRW's The Score). As I was watching these people socializing (it sure seems that there are a lot of men in Bible groups in the Atlantic Bread Company early on Wednesday mornings) I was struck by the irony of these people socializing while I was lurking in their midst and behind iPod's earbuds.

The volume was not turned up, but the earbuds themselves were enough of a social deterrent that nobody stopped by or interrupted my study.

During these 20 minutes alone in public, I drank some coffee, ate my morning sandwich and listened to podcasts which were on two different (not opposite) emotional spectrums.

The first podcast was from a commercial pilot who collects stories in the air from other commercial pilots, flight attendants, and passengers regarding things that happen 30,000 feet up. This particular podcast however was not a combination of several stories, it was one story by Joe d'Eon created on September 11, 2006 giving his view on the Twin Towers and the pilots of the ill-fated flights.

The second podcast included Frank Deford of NPR. Mr. Deford's column usually has something to do with sports and their meaning in our daily life (it is not a package of scores or daily results). During this podcast, Mr. Deford draws a parallel between Pluto and some of the lesser-regarded or lesser-attended sports teams. Listen to the whole thing as you will undoubtedly laugh at the well done sixth grade humor.

IPod -- the poor man's satellite radio . . . but rich with emotions.

No comments: