I have...had an iPod. And it gave me the sad, pathetic icon you see here. So I went to an apple store, signed in on the concierge desk (located on any apple in the apple store or you access it from your home computer) to get an appointment time. I did get an appointment for an hour later at the "genius bar".
Apple really has created a cultural identity. Whereas with most things corporate, people are really put off. But Apple has swung that the other way. They have identified themselves as anti-corporate. Anti-system if you will. Remember, the 'revolution' ad? Very smart.
But no matter how cool the company is, the stores are and the industrially-designed slickness of the computers (they are now Apple Corporation, by the way, in case you missed the latest in apple news), I still had a pathetic iPod face, an hour wait and wait a second...is that it? Sometimes we can make seemingly simple annoyances which result from a comfortable life seem like a crisis. I'm waiting to get an iPod fixed...let's not make this out to be more than it is...I was lucky just to have one. Even a broken iPod...with a sad face...I could me in Venezuela now...wondering "how things are going to turn out..." (and my life there would be fine as well...)
I have it easy. And I know it...and not just because I have an iPod (the iPod is a bit of a means test however, if you have an iPod, chances are most of your basic needs are being met...)
That said, I have gone through moments of pain, loneliness and isolation. I came back to California for a temporary job some months back. I thought I would get a cheap room in the city, enjoy the city and enjoy life. So I got a room, checked in and realized I was wandering lost in the mire of life and looking around for a friendly face. I had a girlfriend in the area that I enjoyed spending time with (who I am happily spending time with today), but wanted to stand on my own. Not depend on her. But one night in the room, waking up early and being asked, "are you cool?" as I made my way to the train through the streets...at first thinking, "hmmm, what a cool guy he's wondering if I'm okay". Then being asked again,
"You okay man?"
I realized..."OH! These guys are drug dealers. They want to know if i want drugs...hugh..."
I felt empowered just to have this realization (pathetic I know), and at the same time it made me a little nervous...and feel a little more lost...
Anyway, what does this have to do with a broken iPod?
There was a song I was listening to at that time that reminds me of that time called, "hate me", on my iPod as I sat on the train staring out the window. Thinking,
"Where am I going.
What am I going to do?"
Then that song comforted me. The song made me realize other people feel this way as well...isolated from time to time...
Now the song reminds me of the feelings I was having then.
The feelings of isolation.
The feelings of being alone.
And, the funny thing is, it feels good. That's the strange thing about those moments in life. After they pass I am happy I had them. They made me look inward, and 'get dirty' with my feelings...they connect you with other people that go through the same thing. And we all do...
But many of us do have it very easy and very good. A very high quality of life.
So now, I was waiting to find the fate of my iPod. To find out what apple does with rotten iPods. Do they have a little memorial service? An Apple 'iPod grieve consultant' meets with you and works through what's on your mind? I did not know what to expect. But I was having fun...
But, expectantly, after a long wait, pondering all of the moments I had gone through with my iPod, I was called to the 'genius bar', by a guy that really did look like...a genius in a pierced nose, pierced ear and 'punk'd' out sort of way (that's how genius' look today...don't they?) and he started asking me some questions in a really cool, apple sort of way...
Before I knew it, he was handing me a new iPod. A fresh, organically manufactured and blemish free, brand new black iPod...
and I listen to it now (some great guitar by John Williams, the magic box)...pondering all the silliness that I ponder...and having fun...
