Yesterday's Floating Foam really got me thinking. Specifically, thinking about getting old, and seeing myself fall behind the curve. I mentioned in the comments that it wasn't the technology I saw myself falling behind, but the purposes behind the newest thing.

Eventually, I imagine one could become so far removed from the trends, that understanding the technology behind them would be just as impossible. For instance, explaining to George Washington that the magic of Cingular's EDGE/GPRS network is that you get continuouse wireless internet even while you are driving.

Internet? Wireless? Wire?... Car?

Dave mentioned a stereotypical middle-aged man, proud of his lack of knowledge of myspace and iPods. While I'm not exactly oblivious to either of these things, I do see where the lack of understanding behind the myspace phenomena kicks in. I know exactly what myspace is and how it works. I'm in the midst of building an online community myself. I know the appeal of being reacquainted with old friends, and meeting new people with similar interests.

What I don't get is why it's the only thing my niece seems to use the interent for. Once you've hooked up with your friends, what do you do? Give meaningless shout-outs in their comments? Email them? Look at who their other friends are? I just don't get why that is so appealing when there is an endless supply of things infinitely more fascinating to discover like this, this, and this.

Despite the fact that I can make an on-line community 1000x's better than myspace with one Mac tied behind my back, I am old and out of the loop. I don't find this alarming, though. I look forward to becoming more irrelevant. I have music.

My grandma and I had a great time talking music the other day. Before she got married, she was in an up-and-coming pop singing group in Indiana. They got some radio play and recorded a few songs. Music has always been a big deal for her, and I recall here saying numerous times that there is simply nothing better on this earth than singing harmony.

I simply have to agree with that. Her experiences with music are just the same as mine and no where near irrelevant. I certainly enjoy a wider range of music than she does, but we enjoy music for the same reasons every other serious musician has enjoyed music since the beginning of time.

The more irrelevant I become to popular trends, the closer I become to retirement, and the more time I will have to focus on music. This year is the first I have seriously thought about what I want to do with my retirement. And I am seriously looking forward to it.

The gist of Dave's post was to feel sympathy for the aged man being left behind the curve. But I think I have different outlook. This man isn't being left behind the curve, he is escaping it. One shouldn't feel sympathy for him, but envy.