The Here and Now

As I have previously mentioned, the school district in which I work has recently supplied every student with an Apple MacBook.
There are some good and some bad aspects inherent in supplying this many pre-teens with this much handheld technology.

One of the most disastrous and painful effects of the computer age is the ease of playing and replaying of teeny-bopper/ wanna-be-gansta music.
The children are very sneaky. They slip a CD of their favorite tone-deafening music into their computers and upload those little musical gems. After a few days of guerrilla transferring they have a hard drive full of the most ear splitting drivel.

Now all they have to do is wait.
Wait for any moment, any great or small span of time to unleash an onslaught of terrible tempos.

The volume starts very low. So low, in fact, that I can’t hear it over the groups quietly working on their projects.
Then, the sneaky little things gradually begin to turn up the volume. Slowly. So very slowly.
Gradually integrating that noise into the classroom noise.

Until, suddenly, I realize that “Milkshake” is dinging throughout the room.
Or “50 cent” or the “Pussycat Dolls.”
And just as suddenly, my head gets ready to explode. The lyrics are crazy dirty.

Completely inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18.
Or maybe 40.

I scamper around the room, tracking the offending computer and taking it away. Giggling about my rule over terrible music.

That’s when I notice, that though the music is gone several of the nearby students are still bobbing their heads.
As if to a different drum.

What is this? I am the crusher of music! How are they still grooving?

There is something strange about this table.
Precariously placed arms are carefully concealing a cord, which travels from the computer, under the table, up the shirt, and through long hair to an ear.
Headphones!

Those sneaky little somethin’ somethin’s.

My arms quickly fill up with enough laptops and headphones to start my own store.

I love technology.