Only human

It was only a matter of time. I had to give in to temptation and make a mockery of another pre-conceived notion that I had about myself. An aggravating parrot when it comes to preaching "Be different, don't follow the herd" motto to anyone who wanders within my vocal range, I find myself a slave to a product which has made being alternative cool so popular that it is not 'alternative' any longer per se but painfully mainstream. I refer with much indignation to the I-Pod culture of which I (Bitter shame chokes me) have become a part.

I recently bought an I-Pod Touch on a sudden whim. I hadn't even planned on buying one because to me it represents just one more thing that is gone wrong with our yuppie generation. What's wrong, you ask? Well for one, it's a conversation killer. Sit next to an attractive girl on a flight and before you are through your breath freshening chewing gum in preparation of the potential filled time ahead, the damned earphones are out of the bag and nestled inside those pretty little ears. If cold-shouldering has had a more effective technique, I am yet to learn of it! Besides, the Pod also indicates an intolerance for everything around you, be it the sounds, the people and the flow of life that evades your music doped senses. It is an active ally of ignorance ensuring it's listeners don't know-don't care attitude can be sustained. And it is ignorance/intolerance and unhealthy contempt for other ways of life that is the cause of most of the misery in the world today (Think Al Qaeda, Maoists or Nazis).

Coming back to my recent purchase, you'd think that after all these criticisms I'd be miles away from any I-Pod whatsoever! I already owned a video I-Pod; a gift from a cousin of mine and after the initial intoxication with it's coolness, it pretty much lay ignored in my gadget tray. I was so proud of the fact that I saw it's inherent evil and stayed off it. Then I walk into an Apple store a couple of days ago with a friend and a friend's friend. This friend's friend was looking to buy an I-Pod Touch and I joined them, secretly smirking at the ordinariness of his "path-to-cool".  And darn it's coolness, I found myself buying one myself. Damn you, Steve Jobs for making a product that suckered me into possessing it knowing fully well that I was only at the tail end of the Apple sheep herd. The sleeker-than-sleek design, the ultra coolly coloured icons and the super sexy feel of the touch screen really made mincemeat of my intellectual pretensions. As penance for my faltering into "common man" territory, I shall bequeath this gadget of the Devil himself to my sister. If I am able to rise above the ordinary that is...