Old Dog--New Tricks

My age must be showing. My son and daughter keep trying to drag my wife and me into the twenty-first century. We are resisting, of course. “You’ve got to keep up, Daddy—you’ve got to learn new things.” In his part of my makeover my son gave me a $50.00 gift certificate to the Apple Store for Father’s Day. “I want you to make this a down payment on your new I-Pod.” “Huh,” I said. “I don’t know anything about the I-Pod.” He sang of course it’s praises. After his rave review I decided maybe I ought to at least go by the Apple Store.

Getting there, I thought it was Christmas. This was the week that the new I-Phone had come out and the lines stretched all the way from the back of the store to the front door. People were everywhere—mostly to order their new I Phones. Not me. I was there to learn something about the I-Pod. A friendly lady led me like I was a doddering old man over to the display. The I-pods were about six inches long, paper thin. They came in all colors, even chartreuse. She explained that I could hear music, which I was supposed to download. Any of my CD’s could be downloaded without any cost. If I wanted to venture out into the I Tunes category (which supposedly has every song that ever was recorded)—I could get most of these instantly for about a dollar each. I could put all my computerized pictures on this new gadget. I could even download pod casts—this new vocabulary makes my head swim. A lot of pod casts are free and all you have to do is to download them through your computer to the I-Pod. The woman said if you have any questions just type in ipodblah.blah or something and they will give you instructions about anything you ask. Well, at home alone—not exactly knowing what to do I typed in the web site. Guess what? The instructions were 88 pages long.

When my thirteen year old granddaughter came over she took charge of her Granddaddy.
She connected me. She downloaded some of my songs. She showed me a little about the pod-casts and then left me to my own devices.

Well, I have now loaded some CD’s that I love. She put all my pictures which were on the computer on to the I-Pod. I even figured out (sorta) how to get to the podcasts and download a few. Why I discovered Garrison Keillor has some kind of daily devotional that lasts about five minutes. All the NPR programs can be downloaded for free. (I just don’t know how to erase them after I get through listening.)

I went down to Wal-Mart and purchased this I-Pod holder which looks a little like an IV—so that when I work out with all the other twenty-thirty-somethings I can be in style. I keep looking at the gizmo just before I leave for the Y. I have yet to put it on—I am afraid I won’t know 1) How to get the program I want; 2) Change albums or channels, etc.; 3) How to avoid getting tangled up in the wires; 4)That I might drop some weights on my head trying to listen and sweat.

I guess you could say I am sorta getting there. Next week I may yet take my maiden voyage to the gym with my new I-Pod. Until then I just look at it as if it was a mouse not knowing exactly what to do. Perhaps when you see my picture in the Strength and Health Magazine you will know that this I-Pod thing really has changed my life.