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I went to routine doctor appointment today. In the waiting room were 3 elderly people and two 20 something people. Both of the 20 somethings were plugged into their I-pods and sitting there in complete detachment from there surroundings, The 3 elderly people were engaged in the art of conversation. After about 30 minutes I knew all about the gentlemans world war 2 experiences and the years after when he was in Germany, Also some very amazing sea battle experiences he had. The two 20 somethings left the waiting room with the same blank expressions on their faces with their earphones still on. .The 3 elderly people were very interesting and rewarding to listen to. My point is thank god I don't have a fricken I-pod.
Follow Ups:
I have a customer over 50 who can't live without music in his ear at all waking moments. He has some waterproof unit he uses in the shower. He doesn't even care very much about what the music is just so long as it on.My main objection is that people who have been listening at high levels can't hear normal conversation. If I can hear your ear buds you need to turn it down to protect your hearing.
I really dislike being on a plane or train around several people with turned up earpieces and every one is playing something different.
I am 60 -I guess some young people might consider me "old" (although hopefully not elderly). But I'm going to take the side of the iPOD'ers. Quite frankly I would be just as happy NOT to have to listen to the ramblings of anyone - old or young - in relatively open or public places like doctors or dentists waiting rooms. I value quietness and my privacy - maybe I would like to read a book or magazine or just sit and think. I don't need people sitting close to me yammering away or god forbid trying to engage me in a conversation that I don't want to participate in. At least the people with iPODs aren't bothering anyone. Perhaps the art of conversation is really dead, as people say, but that's the way it is now -- we live in different times.
No idea why people feel the need to be using these over the course of the day as much as they do!!!
Think anyone listens to me?Many probably won't consider 50 elderly, but I could grow a gray beard if I wanted to. The 15 and under crowd think I'm positively ancient. ;-)
...and BOY do I have some stories ='] . Face it, there are times when we all would like to tune out the crowd and jam to some tunes and times when a good conversation is a thing to behold. Personally, I love a conversation with intellegent folks. Put me in a room filled with Butt-heads, and I'd take the I-Pod option every time.Here's an interesting observation. Music & I-Pods, Conversation & Cell Phones
...listen to your iPods ;)
just kiddin'happy birthday!
dan
CLick the picture below to see my system
I love music too, but I can listen to tunes anytime. Even a bad story sounds better than an iPod.
Must be horrible :(my condolences,
dan
CLick the picture below to see my system
nt
Dean.
Must be terrible. Your loss.
I do enjoy the elderly...as well as our youth.These kids may have not been using the most appropriate manners (or judgment). But they're kids.
I don't quite think all is lost yet ;) Some of them may talk to "old folks" in the future.
> My point is thank god I don't have a fricken I-pod.>You can chose when and where to listen to it.
I use mine at the gym, on airplanes or sometimes when I'm reading in the same room with the TV on.
Personally, I'd rather listen to music than someone relating stories of WWII.
You can have an iPod.When you see very elderly people remove the earphones.They may want to talk about the World War, the *just*war.Younger people may be Korean and Vietnam vets who dont seem to like to talk about their wars too much.In any case the art of conversation is best practised at a party or a club or a pub.I have noticed that folks dont even look at others at waiting rooms,subways,supermarkets at al,leave alone the other public places.I have been to countries where people keep talking to strangers,even asking very personal questions.Single women travelling in India are invariably asked why they are not married and will be told it was time to get married to have children.iPod is perhaps useful to shut out the world. Regards.
Its really a shame that you find it necessary to shut out the world. Perhaps that's evidence of the way we have allowed personal technology to overwhelm our social sphere. If you limit conversation to a party, club, or pub, it means that you wish to limit your relationships to specific people or types of people. The art of conversation is best practiced everywhere, if its really want to hear new points of view.
Dear GreggI am sorry if I gave the impression that the world should be shut out.Where I was born and raised was a joint family with 5 brothers and 3 sisters and their families living in a big house.The whole neighborhood was full of such houses and you can imagine the social interaction,so intense that privacy was an unknown word.There is nobody called a stranger.It is community feeling all the way.Moving from such a milieu to one where things are formal and one has to be introduced before speaking is a big trauma.That is where the party,club and all become important.I try to practise the art of conversation but I fail most of the time.Regards
......whenever i'm waiting for something......or most days at lunch.it's not a matter of not being interested in conversation. it's more that my job is constant conversation for 10 hours 6 days a week. i look at waiting time as an opportunity for a break. reading re-charges my batteries......web surfing will also work but it's less peaceful than reading printed pages for some reason. maybe that is just my personal culture or habit after 50 years of reading.
if/when i'm retired i would expect that i won't get the same level of daily conversational input and my use of waiting time will change.
I don't agree that listening to an ipod will lead to the decline of Western civilization. They could have been practicing the art of communication on their cell phones and then you could have invaded their privacy AND complained about it.
I fully agree. My fourteen year old (actually she turned fifteen on Thursday... time flies)can travel with me in the car with her earphones on and in her own little world and more often than not is oblivious to any conversation. I guess they do leave that little world as they grow up, one hopes.
`
"....thank god I don't have a fricken I-pod."The problem isn't owning an iPod, but what's done with the iPod.....
I love the art of conversation. It is under-appreciated.
I also think the art of writing a letter is gone.
It's not the i-pod people at fault.Regards,
... Just kidding ; )
IMHO, taking over it is the art of blogging, ICQ, instant messaging, SMS and such.FWIW, it's appalling to see young people writing official business and school reports in those ways with smileys! ;(
BTW, I hope you don't mind my joking ROTFLOL! ;)
HowdyMan some days it doesn't pay to try to express a thought does it? :)
I sometimes spend too much time on my laptop at Starbucks, when I go with nothing I often get in to interesting conversations (well most of the time they are interesting :)
While I don't have any kind of portable music player having tried walkmen (???) and not really enjoyed it, perhaps the reminiscing about 60 year old wars was exactly why the 20 year olds didn't take their players off.
Not everyone is interested in war.
it ain't about war - it's about experiences - and the art of conversation
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
... felt any need to talk about it.
Too disgusting remembering their friends being blown apart or seeing the destruction that they had caused.
many WWII vets then
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
Nearly all of whom hated it, hated the fighting and only enjoyed the football... and would have to have conversation about FIGHTING war prised from their lips.
Perhaps the British have a different attitude.
a concept you seem unable, or unwilling, to grasp. Doesn't mean they don't talk about it. My Dad was and my FIL is, a WWII vet.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
... they sit around talking about it?
If you say so...
I and I don't think I am alone here find it odd that some countries obsess about war. WW2 is history. Its long gone. Move on.
I live in Westerham, a small local town to a man who was called Winston Churchill... and 2 miles the other way is Biggin Hill, one of the most famous fighter stations...
Believe me, its still in conversation here every day, you need an iPod to get a moment to yourself round here sometimes.General Wolfe was a resident as well, Quebec and all that. Maybe there is something in the water...
Have fun,
a specific criticism of 20 something's. I have seen this same situation with other age people also.
The action itself should be criticized, devoid of pointing out who may be doing it.....When people or groups of people are singled out for a tendency to do something, the focus often shifts to the person levying the criticism for some form of prejudice.
when those 20 something folks get to be 60 they'll be practicing the art of conversation, and two more 20 somethings will be listening to some futuristic toy, tuning out the world they can't quit relate to.
...I love having an iPod but I almost never use it when I could be conversing with others. I use it in the car through the radio rather than CDs, when I'm traveling on an airplane I use it a portion of the time (not gate to gate), and I like to have it for use in hotel rooms and such.One can have such a device without it being an anti-social thing. You should also keep in mind you may be more inherently outgoing than a lot of other people. I've always been a bit of an introvert and even when in public without headphones I often won't gravitate to a conversation with others, as I often prefer the quiet inside my head.
Yeah, those frickin iPod owning 20-somethings piss me off too. Sitting there politely minding their own business. Who the frick do they think they are!Whenever I want to eavesdrop on their conversations, they just put on those ear buds and turn up their iPods. Makes me mad and forces me instead to listen in on old geezers complaining about their health problems and the war!
I am Just noticing an increasing isolated social attitude that maybe is not all that healthful. but I am glad I did not miss listening to this elderly mans experiences today instead of my headphones.
... The world has changed alot since, but people haven't changed all that much.
You just made my day.
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