My Ipod Was Stolen

I did a gaming program a recent Saturday at a smaller branch a short drive from the library where I work. I did this because gaming programs at my branch don’t go over that well. We are surrounded by upper class gated communities and there is nothing I can offer the residents here that they don’t already have in their dens. The small branch is located in a working class neighborhood and I knew if I did a gaming program there people would attend. I did one a few months ago at the West Boulevard branch and had 30 people show up that evening. If I had done the same program at my branch I would have been in that room by myself. So after a series of emails with the branch’s manager we set up a date and time for a program. I arranged with Nathan at the Main Library to send out two Xbox 360s and all the games for that system the library owns.

On the day of the event I get there an hour before it starts so I can get everything put together. It takes about half an hour to hook up to 360s and the projectors that display the action. I brought along my Ipod and a portable player because if I’m going to be alone in a room for an hour I want to have some music playing. After I set up gamers start showing up at the scheduled time. I cut off the music and the gaming session goes well. I have around ten guys show up over the four hours I’m there and we have a good time. For some reason the six year old game Burnout 3 tends to dominate these events. People love Burnout 3. I think it’s because you can do split screen one on one races and the crashes are spectacular. I had forgotten how fun the game is so I bought a copy for myself off eBay a few days ago for $5. That’s a darn fine game for $5.

When it was time to shut down, a few of the guys helped me pack the equipment. I should have told them not to bother because I had to repack a few things because there is a certain way the Xbox 360s have to be put into the backpacks or everything won’t fit properly. We had all been having fun together so I let them pitch in. Once that is done they take off and I put the gear into plastic bins and take the bins and stack them in the workroom so the delivery guys can pick them up on Monday morning. I then bounce out to my car, reach in my backpack for my Ipod and it’s not there. I dig through my bag. Nothing. I go back in and search the room. Nothing. I check the bins and gaming backpacks. Nothing. I look around the workroom. Nothing. Someone stole my Ipod.

A few years ago at our old apartment, Wendell and I had some stuff stolen from us by a neighbor we thought was a friend. It was a betrayal that even almost four years later still is an open wound. I have a less visceral reaction to this theft. It was either stolen by one of the two teens in attendance or by one of the two adults that were a bit simple and borderline homeless. I shoud have bee more careful. The mistake I made, other than bringing a valuable piece of personal property to a public event, was allowing the gamers to assist in breaking down the equipment. The next time I will usher everyone out and then put stuff away. I’m probably lucky a valuable piece of library gaming equipment wasn’t lifted also.

So, the Ipod I purchased in the summer of 2006 is gone. It didn’t take long to see how much I depended on that thing. I felt lost at home. Gonna do laundry? No music. Walk to the store at lunch? No music. Driving? Nothing. Thank god Melanie has an Ipod Nano or shelving at work on our closed days would have really sucked. Not being in a position to purchase a new Ipod for a couple hundred dollars I went out on eBay to see what I could find. What I found was an Ipod Nano. I liked how Melanie’s operated and at $50 it was 1/3 the price of a new one. All my music was back up on a hard drive so I can swap content on and off the Nano depending on what I want to hear. I’m happy with it, although it only holds 8 gigabytes of music compared to the 55 gigabytes of memory available on my stolen Ipod. It’s a handy little tool. It also crossfades when I shuffle songs and I love crossfading. It’s like I’m listening to my own personal pirate radio station. If you haven't had an acoustic blues song by Buddy Guy and Junior Wells fade out while Fast by the Butthole Surfers fades in you haven't really lived. Welcome to Radio Free Fat Bastard.

I only hope whoever did steal my Ipod takes the time to listen to what is on it because he got himself a damn fine music collection and if he takes his time and digests what’s on there he can only come out a better person. If that happens then maybe he won’t still again from librarians that visit his neighborhood to do him a service. The bastard.