I-Pods and personal listening devices

Spring [of sorts] has arrived in Ottawa with Daylight Saving Time this past Sunday and folks were out and about enjoying the warmer weather - the store window celebrated with a collection of related books and a quote:

"Here and there a patch of snow,
Dirtier than the ground below,
Dribbles down a marshy flood;
Ankle-deep you stick in mud
In the meadows while you sing,
"This is Spring."
by Christopher Pearce Cranch - A Spring Growl

Walking towards the Market people I meet smile easily, whereas a month ago they'd be muffled in scarves, collars pulled up around their ears, heads bent against the wind. The exception to this openness are those plugged into their personal world, and I'm inclined to worry about them - you can see by their faces they are involved in a world apart from the street, not sharing.

I blew my top yesterday morning when our son confessed to listening to his I-Pod while walking his dog. Baer is a dig furry mongrel who found him and is devoted to him. He is young, only a puppy and very sensitive, so care must be taken not to frighten him. A broken glass caused him distress the other morning when a member of the family shrieked. He takes his dog biscuits in the other room so that our pack of three don't rob him - has yet to stand up to Lizzie the Rat Terrier even though he is ten times her size. With Baer I say “Excuse me” when he’s lying across the threshold, while the other dogs get “Shift”. He is a very sensitive dog.

I seldom see the young people picking up dog food from the store next to ours wearing earphones, occasionally one will walk by with their dog, listening to their music while their dogs walk on looking lost
Have even seen mothers with baby carriages listening to their I-Pods, wonder if they'll ever hear Spring birds...Both babies & dogs need personal attention.

Occasionally I have listened to audio books while driving; and am a devout radio listener and on Sundays play Seriously Sinatra in the bookstore, checking to see how many singer/songwriters there are - Cole Porter!
The rest of the week we play the classical music station on SIRIUS Radio.