My Mp3 player is dying. It's 3 or 4 years old now, and in electronic years that's 87. It's been so much more than just an electronic device. It's been my friend, comrade, and lover. I've fallen asleep with it lying next to me on the blankets. It's listened to me sing loudly and watched me dance like no one was watching. It's helped me through my toughest times, and it's given me inspiration and confidence to follow my dreams. I've lavished it in new headphones and expensive batteries throughout the years. It's been to Quebec, Illinois, Ottawa, but I don't think it will make it to New York this year.

It's seen the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Paul Anka; from the greatest music idols to indie obscurity.
In it's second year I began having impure thoughts like "I wonder what an ipod would be like?" But, always I looked at my friend with its worn and chipped silver paint and realized that this grungy 1Gb Mp3 player was something more than a clean, sleek ipod offered.

Now, only in this second part of the year has my beautiful machine started to fail on me. It's been consuming batteries like a bulimic adolescent girl, having used up 2 batteries in less than a day without continuous use. It has been freezing often and will flash "CANNOT PLAY SONG" or "CORRUPTED" on specific songs when I know they should play normally. I cringe when I see the words "LOW BAT" or "DATA ACCESS" because I know it's nearing the end.

I know its time to say goodbye to my friend, and lately I've been looking more and more at the newer ipod models and trying to envision me carrying a lifeless trendy gadget instead of my friend with character and memories.

Goodbye my beautiful friend. And as the dust settles on your plastic body, and we drift apart as you sit on my shelf and watch me dancing and singing to another, remember I will always think of you and love you.