Why I Love My ipod

             Another summer is winding down.  We were fortunate to take two summer trips this year.  The first, in June, was a visit to our daughter Beth who is an OB/GYN resident in Rochester, New York.  She was moving from one apartment to another and so we went to help her move and enjoy some time with her.  Having an extra car when moving is helpful so we drove.  I enjoy the experience of seeing the country.  We also enjoyed a Rochester Red Wings baseball game.  For those who may not know this, the Red Wings are the Minnesota Twins Triple A farm team.

            In August we traveled the exact opposite direction, heading to Montana for a family wedding.  Rick and Maggie were married at a family cabin near Big Fork, not too far south of Glacier National Park.  On our way back home, we spent a day plus in Yellowstone and a few hours at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  I have long enjoyed the haunting, austere beauty of the plains and the majestic beauty of the mountains.  I find it fascinating that I am both captivated by New York City, which we visited last year, and by the plains and mountains, but that is another posting.

            On our trip West we listened to a long book on CD, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth.  It was 32 discs long!  For those of you who know the book, you will find it amusing that my wife and I listened to it along with our 23 year-old daughter, Sarah.  Some of the scenes are not typical parent-child conversation.

            We also had along my trusty ipod classic – over 8,000 songs.  Our car allows us to plug the ipod into the sound system and shuffle songs.  This summer I was reminded of why I love my ipod.

            One sequence of songs: Lucinda Williams, “Passionate Kisses;” Charles Mingus, “Got To Get It;” Waylon Jennings, “Honky Tonk Heroes;” Prince, “I Wanna Be Your Lover.”  Where else could I go from progressive country to jazz to classic renegade country to the rock/soul/funk of Prince?

            At another moment Derek and the Dominoes, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” was followed immediately by the Taize song, “Veni, Sancte, Spiritus.”  It was like the theologian Paul Tillich’s method of correlation in action – existential situation/faith response.

            On final ipod serendipity: George Jones followed by George Harrison followed by “Rock and Roll Heaven.”  You know they’ve got a hell of a band!

            I love my ipod.

With Faith and With Feathers,

David