Ode to the iPod

Dear iPod,

We have been through a lot together. It took me almost a year to be able to afford you; I babysat every Sunday thinking of you. I can tell you how, when, where, and why each of your dents has occurred. Each dent has a story. Like the time when I was at BYU French Camp and I was goofing around boasting about how indestructible you are, and I dropped you. That was how you got the dent right under where your camera would have been if you were a newer generation iPod. That particular dent destroyed your tilt sensor,making it very difficult for me to "shake to shuffle" but I loved you all the same. The next dent made the lock button virtually unusable except if I pushed it really hard,but I still loved you. Now I have gone and done the unspeakable; I have cracked your screen. I had already put a little crack in the corner when I knocked you against the corner of my dresser, but now your screen is really, really cracked. The screen even gave me a splinter! But I don't blame you; I blame the bathroom floor which was your screen's ultimate demise. I taped your screen back together but I feel in my heart it is almost pointless. You will never be the same. Never again will I be able to stream YouTube movies on your perfectly clear screen; never again will I be able to clearly read an email without having to zoom in just to decipher the words behind your befuddled screen. I am so sorry. The good news is that you still work. I can still play music, watch movies, and read emails. I can still play games as long as they don't require the tilt-sensor. You still travel with me wherever my life takes me; French camp, school, France, school in France, etc. 

You have kept me alive on this adventure. You have connected me via IM’ing and Facebook to my friends and family in the US. You have received over 600 emails from colleges, over 4,000 from Facebook, and over three years’worth of SAT questions of the day. But, the thing I am most thankful for is your music. Your capacious 64GBs has allowed you to have a vast library of almost 7,000 songs, as well as your Genius, your knowledge of genres, albums,artists, compilations, playlists, and your ability to directly download songs from iTunes. Your music, dear iPod, is your most amazing feature. Your music has carried me through my many "genre fads" such as pop music, boy bands,techno, dub step, hip-hop, rap, R&B, country, folk, rock, the list goes on. 

One thing I have found while on my exchange is that music is my best comfort. Music has memories, feelings, can change your whole mindset, and affects your whole day. While in France I have had cravings (yes cravings) for different genres. I have dawdled in folk, rap, and most recently, rock. I have used your vast libraries and geniused great hits such as Living on a Prayer to compile the most amazing playlist full of Journey, Queen, Bon Jovi, and so many others. I have turned up your volume and have come very near to ruining my hearing for the rest of my life. 

So what I really was trying to say here was... Please don't die! I love you so very much and I need you! I need to listen to your audio books on long car rides, I need your genius playlists, and I need you; cracked screen and all. 

Love your owner,

Rachael