Music Is A Vastly Underrated Pleasure In Life: Why My iPod Is My Best Friend
Music is one of the simplest pleasures in life, and comes in all different types and forms. My iPod is an extension of myself - it picks me up when I'm feeling down, gives me reason to dance around like a crazy person, and motivates me to keep going when I'm working out! My iPod is my best friend, and here's why:
1. My iPod Gauges My Mood Better Than Most People In My Life!
We all know at least one of those people. The person who hugs you when you seriously do not want to be touched, or cracks a joke and you think “too soon." People sometimes just don’t get me ... but my iPod always does. When my iPod goes on shuffle after I’ve had a crap day and am mad at the world, Paramore’s “Riot” magically blares through my speakers, and I can shout into my hairbrush and dance my frustration away. Or if I’m lying in bed and sleep persists to evade me, my iPod senses my agitation and lulls me with the soothing tones of Sam Smith. None of my other friends are thoughtful enough to sing me to sleep (although, maybe that’s a good thing because it would probably be pretty creepy if they did!)
2. It Introduces Me To New Friends.
There’s nothing like a shared music interest to strike up a good conversation! When meeting new people; artists they listen to, concerts they’ve attended or instruments they play are always ideal ice-breakers. At parties where my iPod is taking centre-stage and doing it’s thang in the docking station, a well-crafted playlist teeming with cheesy oldies and rocking new tunes is exactly what is needed! People might hear a song and think “oh, I really like that band too!” or “I wonder who owns that iPod, ‘cos that’s a cool song." Thus, beautiful new relationships are formed!
3. It Helps Me Avoid Certain Uncomfortable Situations.
There’s nothing more awkward than strolling along, seeing a face from the past walking in your direction and experiencing the inner conflict of; 'will I or won’t I stop for small talk?' With iPod at hand and headphones in place, this dilemma is null and void. A quick smile and a wave suffices, and no pointless chit-chat needs to be suffered through by either of you. Or in the more extreme cases, your iPod can serve as a perfect distraction to completely avoid acknowledging someone. It sounds harsh but it’s necessary at times. You see that unsavoury character headed your way, and “oh! I suddenly need to change the song” - cue frantic scrambling for iPod and clicking of buttons with your head firmly down. Works every time!
4. My iPod Is An AMAZING Motivator.
I’ve never been a very sporty person and any competitive streak I had in my youth (extremely heated games of Monopoly and Snap spring to mind) has long since disappeared. I do, however, enjoy the occasional jog/run. Well, enjoy might be an exaggeration but I do it anyway just to keep fit. I’ve always found it really hard to run with other people though, because my red-faced panting and lack of breath completely ruins the chance of chatting while running and we end up just walking! My iPod on the other hand, is the ultimate motivator. It’s like having a personal fitness coach in my pocket, and he doesn’t even have to yell at me. My “Running Playlist” is a carefully selected list of the perfect fist-pumping, dance-battling, hip-hopping, base-dropping tracks I know and it never fails to give me the lift I need to sprint that last stretch of the road. When my man Calvin comes on and sings “let’s go, make no excuses now, I’m talking here and now” I have no choice but to do as he says!
5. It Keeps My Untold Secrets (Most Of The Time).
I readily explain to people that I am not a “Directioner” or a “Belieber” and am not an avid Taylor Swift fan, just as a few examples. I don’t immediately buy an album because of the craze - I judge a song/album solely on the quality of the music. My iPod is my best friend because even though it hears me announcing these statements to people, it doesn’t broadcast the fact that I actually bounce around my room to “Shake it Off” or have been known to croon along to “Boyfriend” every now and then. My iPod keeps my secret guilty pleasures just that; a secret. This is true most of the time, but I have had the misfortune of hanging with friends while my iPod was playing through speakers and cringing as the High School Musical album comes on. I don’t think I can really blame my iPod for that though. Oops!
6. My iPod is An Extension Of My Own Personality.
It has often been said that friends are an extension of oneself. The same can absolutely be said for my iPod. If someone were to look through my track list, they would get an infinitely better sense of my personality than if they looked through my wardrobe or my bookshelf. I have hand-picked everything that has gone into this wondrous little gadget and fine-tuned it exactly to my taste; how could I not love it?