Giving in to social pressure

I rarely do this - really. But I saw the new ipod nano, and had to have it! I already have a 512MB flash player, but the only thing I really like about it is the radio. Anyway, I've always considered my self above the mass inclinations of our consumer society - but, God, this thing just looked so cool! So I bought it. In black. With "Beebon" etched on the back. Two mitigating factors, though. I get a 10% discount on apple products through my company, and I bought the cheapest one, the 2GB-er.

Actually, this is just plain retail therapy to combat some major stresses in my life. And since I'm on a diet, pizza and a tub of ice cream is out. So retail it is...Though going to church helps, but that's only once a week. But wait! My church has sermons on mp3, so I'm actually being spiritual by buying this thing (of course, I could listen to them on my old player, but only a few fit at a time, 'cause they're about an hour long).

On a totally different note, just found out that my half-brother has Alzheimers disease. I'm totally shocked. He's much older than I am, more like an uncle, so we've never been super close. But it's really upsetting to me. I'll find out more when I talk to my niece (his daughter) this weekend. A lot of my family members have developed serious diseases as they get older, so it seems that my own dreams of dying in bed at age 102 are just not going to happen. Well, I guess that's why it's important to learn to be happy in spite of your circumstances (think Philippians 4:12 in the Bible). Especially when I read about things like the 30 people found dead in a nursing home in New Orleans after the hurricane. I can't imagine...

Anyway, so I bought an ipod.