I noticed today, as I walked through the aisles of Whole Foods on my weekly grocery shopping trip, that half the people in the place were wondering around like zombies with iPods attached to their heads. Now, I'll admit to owning an iPod and using it frequently, especially when riding Metro to work and when I'm sitting at my desk. I love the thing and can't remember what I did without it. Yet, it seems to me that some among us have begun to isolate themselves in the extreme by slapping the bud headphones into their ears and going about their business, ignoring the rest of us.

To the short fat man who blocked the pasta aisle and took away part of my Sunday while jamming to Cher's "Believe", and to everyone who seems so put off by the rest of us that they can't live with the traumatic noise levels inside the grocery stores, WAKE UP! Living in this city (and most cities) means interacting with your fellow human beings. I moved here because I like being around a lot of people. If you really can't handle being part of the community while picking out organic arugula, then I know a few sparsely populated towns in western Ohio that would love to have you. Groceries are much cheaper there, anyway.