Isolation Amongst Many
Ever since this fabulous person gave me his old iPod, I have really enjoyed using it wherever I go. I haven't loaded up my own music on it because I don't want to wipe out what he had on the iPod. Most of it is fun stuff, and I figure I'll enjoy it a while longer before I mess with changing anything. One of the most useful applications of the iPod for me is that I can dance my way from my car to my office every morning if I like. It's quite a hike since I have chosen to take the easy way out with parking (that is, I know where there is a space and so I just take it, not worrying about the long walk it then creates from my car to my office). I consider it part of the Clemson health insurance plan: walking, walking, walking.
Sometimes, while walking with the iPod on, I know I am humming to myself or pretending to beat drums or something. I don't care if I look like a freak, so it doesn't bother me to be open in this fashion. I did notice that there are many other iPod users across campus, students who also have the earphones in as they walk to class, and they never seem to be reacting to the music. That was my first observation. Then, suddenly, I realized...hey wait...a LOT of students are using the iPod. Depending on the time of day, I see about 25 to 33% of the students walking by with their iPods going. Wow! Then I started looking further, and I noticed that out of the remaining students, many were also talking on their cell phones rather than to each other. Even when students were seemingly together, they were talking on their phones. I walked by two anorexic sorority girls (identifiable by their greek lettered bags), sitting down companionably in silence near the water fountain near the library, texting happily to...for all I know, each other. Texting, talking, iPoding...all these people, hundreds of people, and nobody was directly using face-to-face communication. All right, "nobody" is a strong word. Let's just say "very few."
Is this really where we're going now as a society? Are we actually heading to a time when we try and talk to each other in every way but a position that involves eye contact? Amazing.
****
The other night, I wanted to get fried zucchini. I haven't had it in over ten years, and I used to love it. Alex looked puzzled and said he didn't know what it was. You know, that happens so rarely to him because he's extremely bi-lingual. He usually displays a higher vocabulary in English than most grad students can show. Now, my French is merde. So, when we have moments wherein he doesn't know the English word, I frequently can't pop out the French equivalent....
...except if we are talking about FOOD! Woohoo! I have long been highly motivated to know all sorts of foreign words for food items. That comes with the territory of being food-obsessive. "Courgette!" I cried out, grinning. "Courgette...frit?"
Then, of course, Alex's whole face wrinkled up. Let's be honest: the reason why he doesn't know the American veggie words (the Brits use courgette instead of zucchini too) is that the man doesn't enjoy vegetables. I've gotten him to like quite a few over the years, but I still have a long way to go! I had to laugh as he looked so displeased to find out what a zucchini was. He decided he would be a grownup, though, and try it despite its vegetable status. Good news: he liked it! Yay!
****
I'm still hacking up my lungs. I will never be well again. I swear.
****
My daughter has been chosen to be the goalie of her soccer team. Why, you ask? Well, she's the only kid who they tried out on that position who was extremely dedicated to keeping the ball OUT of the goal. The other kids would sort of stare at the ball as it went by or would make a halfhearted attempt at grabbing it. Not my daughter! Finally, the killer instinct I knew she had inside but she never really showed when she was on the field surfaced. Ariana dove, dove, and dove again. She even got smacked in the face once with the soccer ball, leaving a large red splotch on her cheek for the rest of the day. I was so proud...sniff! I need to take her to see some good women's soccer somewhere. She loves this sport. I want her to be inspired.
****
And speaking of women's sports, I would like to say that I am very, very happy with my alma mater's women's basketball team right now. Duke is ranked #1 in the country, and they are undefeated. They have one game left: against UNC, of course. Usually, women's sporting events are not supported. However, Duke is a basketball school all around, and the word has it that the tents are popping up as the students wait in line for tickets for this final season game. I can't tell you how happy I am to know that my school is supporting their excellent women's team in a fashion that they deserve. Even when women's teams win, they are often ignored. But not in Durham! Go Blue Devils!
Sometimes, while walking with the iPod on, I know I am humming to myself or pretending to beat drums or something. I don't care if I look like a freak, so it doesn't bother me to be open in this fashion. I did notice that there are many other iPod users across campus, students who also have the earphones in as they walk to class, and they never seem to be reacting to the music. That was my first observation. Then, suddenly, I realized...hey wait...a LOT of students are using the iPod. Depending on the time of day, I see about 25 to 33% of the students walking by with their iPods going. Wow! Then I started looking further, and I noticed that out of the remaining students, many were also talking on their cell phones rather than to each other. Even when students were seemingly together, they were talking on their phones. I walked by two anorexic sorority girls (identifiable by their greek lettered bags), sitting down companionably in silence near the water fountain near the library, texting happily to...for all I know, each other. Texting, talking, iPoding...all these people, hundreds of people, and nobody was directly using face-to-face communication. All right, "nobody" is a strong word. Let's just say "very few."
Is this really where we're going now as a society? Are we actually heading to a time when we try and talk to each other in every way but a position that involves eye contact? Amazing.
****
The other night, I wanted to get fried zucchini. I haven't had it in over ten years, and I used to love it. Alex looked puzzled and said he didn't know what it was. You know, that happens so rarely to him because he's extremely bi-lingual. He usually displays a higher vocabulary in English than most grad students can show. Now, my French is merde. So, when we have moments wherein he doesn't know the English word, I frequently can't pop out the French equivalent....
...except if we are talking about FOOD! Woohoo! I have long been highly motivated to know all sorts of foreign words for food items. That comes with the territory of being food-obsessive. "Courgette!" I cried out, grinning. "Courgette...frit?"
Then, of course, Alex's whole face wrinkled up. Let's be honest: the reason why he doesn't know the American veggie words (the Brits use courgette instead of zucchini too) is that the man doesn't enjoy vegetables. I've gotten him to like quite a few over the years, but I still have a long way to go! I had to laugh as he looked so displeased to find out what a zucchini was. He decided he would be a grownup, though, and try it despite its vegetable status. Good news: he liked it! Yay!
****
I'm still hacking up my lungs. I will never be well again. I swear.
****
My daughter has been chosen to be the goalie of her soccer team. Why, you ask? Well, she's the only kid who they tried out on that position who was extremely dedicated to keeping the ball OUT of the goal. The other kids would sort of stare at the ball as it went by or would make a halfhearted attempt at grabbing it. Not my daughter! Finally, the killer instinct I knew she had inside but she never really showed when she was on the field surfaced. Ariana dove, dove, and dove again. She even got smacked in the face once with the soccer ball, leaving a large red splotch on her cheek for the rest of the day. I was so proud...sniff! I need to take her to see some good women's soccer somewhere. She loves this sport. I want her to be inspired.
****
And speaking of women's sports, I would like to say that I am very, very happy with my alma mater's women's basketball team right now. Duke is ranked #1 in the country, and they are undefeated. They have one game left: against UNC, of course. Usually, women's sporting events are not supported. However, Duke is a basketball school all around, and the word has it that the tents are popping up as the students wait in line for tickets for this final season game. I can't tell you how happy I am to know that my school is supporting their excellent women's team in a fashion that they deserve. Even when women's teams win, they are often ignored. But not in Durham! Go Blue Devils!
posted by Kira | 7:19 PM
18 Comments:
Isolation: Yes. It's like the world is turning into the opposite of Baba Ram Dass's "Be here now."
Duke women's hoops: Rob clough is writing about them in a new forum: http://dwhoops.com/ And I think the UNX game was tonight, with Duke winning.
Welcome to the Cult of iPod. There is no resisting the pull of The Mighty Apple.
Isolation: Mayhap. Except for sex. Webcam sessions usually involve JUST that sort of eye-to-eye contact. And then eye-to-boob, etc. But on the other hand, I see this sense of "isolation" more as reaction to a more interpersonally interactive world, where one is forced to interact with more people in one day than most of our ancestors did in a lifetime. In such cases, I see the iPod as a desire for solitude, not a sign of lonliness.
Of course I just use my Palm as my mp3 player. I'll be damned if Steve Jobs ever sees a dime of my money for his music.
And as far as Duke, UNC, and basketball: I quote Dean Smith -- the greatest basketball coach in human history, for all of you who spent too much money for your education at Duke. "I've never thought of UNC as a football school OR a basketball school; I've always considered UNC a Woman's Soccer Scool." 11 consecutive national championships. Mia Hamm. Dynasty.
Duke who?
That's great news - the basketball, not your permanent sick status. It's heartwarming to see your alma mater is both winning AND supporting Satan. We need more of that in the deep South.
Well, congratulations on Duke at least having ONE passable sports team this year.
:P
I luv my iPod to no end. I have found that sometimes when I am walking (and listening) I become completely immersed in the music and I might bolt out a lyric or start to dance and not even realize it until I've already done it. My sister teases me because I wear my iPod when I clean and she can hear me singing, yet she can't hear the song.
Fried zucchini! You have put a CRAVING in my tummy. I haven't had fried zucchini in YEARS! I love it dipped in either ranch or cheese sauce. Now I have to make some. YUMMMY!!
I too am STILL hacking. It sucks.
Once again this year my daughter was denied soccer. They didn't have enough people sign up so it was cancelled. I guess I could go to another city and let her play, but the point is for her to play for the town she lives in and represent her school. This place sucks!
Lol - I was thinking about the iPod thing just this weekend. It is often pretty amazing to me to step off campus and back into the regular world. I took Anna to a chorus ensemble thing at Converse College Saturday morning. I didn't really see any students, so I can't comment on their iPod estrangement, though I imagine it would be similar to ours at CU. Anyway, I WANTED to listen to my iPod as we waited for our "team" (lol - we even put competition into CHORUS in this culture of ours!) to finish. But none of the other parents of high schoolers understood this foreign concept. I kept putting the headphones in, only to have to take them out because they kept TALKING to me. Darn it. Then, I thought, "Geez, here's this really nice lady who's daughter is going to West Oak, and she's from a Georgia, and she keeps wanting to TALK to me... What could this mean?" Vague recollections of a world from many years ago begin to stir in my mind.
She just moved here, and she needs new friends. Duh!
When that finally hit me, I put the iPod away and made a nice new friend whose daughter might play for a team who's refs always cheat, but she was pretty cool.
That regular world out there is a strange place, huh?
That would be WHOSE refs always cheat.
I've been doing mock interviews all day, and I've lost my sense of writing. =o(
I wish the isolation would hit my office. Even when I close (and lock) my office door, people still want to talk to me. Lately, people seem to have two favorite conversation starters: "Amanda, I need...." or "Amanda, tell Owen...."
Yay for Ari!
You obviously have consumption. Good luck with that!!!
I think technology keeps us connected in an odd way.
Joe--yeah, I saw that Duke won! When I wrote the blog, I had read about the tent city for the women's game the previous day. I didn't realize that the info had been posted because the game was supposed to be Sunday. Woohoo! The only undefeated women's basketball season ever in the ACC!
NWJR--I'm all for apple as long as it's free. Hell, I'm all for technology on the whole as long as it's free :)
Terry--actually, you know what's a way bigger waste of money than blowing money on a Duke education? I'd say it's spending lots and lots of money on UNC, only to not get the degree because of lacking one stupid class. Just sayin' ;)
Grant--what, because the mascot is a Blue Devil? I always wondered where that ranked in hell. I thought red was the standard.
SC--well, you know, they get more than one every year. It's just that basketball is the only one that folks care about there ;) I knew the men's team would have problems this year, though. It's a young team. It happens.
Sandra--I like mine with ranch in particular. It's good stuff! I can't believe that there aren't enough kids for soccer in your daughter's area, though. What the hell? I live in a rural area of South Carolina, and even we manage to scrape up enough for the local rec center to spot four to six teams a year. It's a short season (they play all other teams twice), but at least they get to PLAY! Soccer's a good one to pick up for girls, too. It's a sport they can play as long as they want if they are good enough.
Angie--I have at least twice called out somebody's name here only to be ignored...feel vaguely insulted...and then realize that the iPod was in so they just couldn't hear me. Haha! I'd have taken a while to pull out the iPod in the situation you describe, too. It never occurs to me that perfect strangers want to talk to me, and it still amazes me when it happens (frequently, too...I never have that urge myself!). For all I know, people have tried to talk to me too with the iPod in.
Amanda--how about the deadly combo of, "Amanda, I need Owen?" has that happened yet? I figure what the hell, combine the two!
Laura--yes, I obviously DO have consumption, but nobody will let me just go quietly die in a corner. Go figure.
Wait a minute! Are those the same lungs you were wearing in Las Vegas? Coughing THOSE up?!! Egad.
Duke teams (basketball) are my second-favorites, and I am delighted to see them doing so well. (Duke whupped up on N.C. a day or two ago. Screw the Carolinas.)
Girl! I love your observations on life. I agree with you on the strange techno-dichotomy of isolation v. connection. (How'd you like that? I made up a new word which probably doesn't even make sense.) Anyway, I hope you get to feeling better soon. Sometimes I find that an illness sounds the worst just before you recover. On the other hand, you might need to see a doctor for some antibiotics. And I don't recommend antibiotics lightly.
I love frit zucchini. I haven't had it in a long time, though.
I didn't realize you were a Blue Devil, although I might have pictured you as the devil with a blue dress on:-)
Of course, if you fry any vegetable, a vegetable hater will like it.
How much storage capacity does an iPod have anyway? Seems to me you could download a lot of stuff before taking off anything Alex had on it.
I see texting/e-mailing/cybercommunity etc. as sort of a mixed thing. Sure, we're not together. Sure, most of us will probably never see each other in meatspace. But then again, we do communicate with each other...verbally, no less.
I do fear, though, that cybercommunications tend to wreck our spelling and grammar skills.
I agree partially with some of the comments about technonogy bringing people together -- for instance, what are we doing right now while we're using this blog? ;) I saw a neat article once on Amish use of cellphones, and how it wasn't so much that Amish were anti-technology as they were pro-person. The article explained how many Amish were using cellphones in a pro-person manner.
However, I often see technology being used to isolate people or rip them out of their current context. All those folks wandering around plugged into their ipods or yakking on their phones in public are isolating themselves from their environment (hence the proposed ban in NYC on using electronic devices while crossing the street). But I think the most dehumanizing use of technology these days is the way so many people carry cellphones or pagers, and allow (or are forced into allowing) the pager or cellphone to run their lives. Often it's that the person is on call. I liken being on call to having a infant or toddler: you never know when the child is going to start throwing up or wake up at 4 am or otherwise require your immediate attention. However, one at least gets the end result of a child when raising one. Carrying a pager can be much less rewarding. And it seems like more and more people "have" to carry them for work. I have a friend who works for the school system, helping schools set up reading programs for "special needs" kids. She doesn't run the programs, just helps the schools set them up. Her management requires her to carry a cellphone. What, is someone going to have a reading emergency somewhere?
I love my ipod, but I too was thinking that it made me ignore the world around me. I haven't been wearing it on the bus for the last two weeks - I've been reading instead - and all I noticed was that, well, everyone else was wearing ipods!
The reason Kira isn't posting is that I have her locked in my basement, forced to live in squalor and eat live rats. Please contact me to arrange ransom payments.
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