I suppose it is a new feature. At least I never noticed it before. But the fifteen second video I posted on social media of my twins and their friends caroling at our front door repeats in a loop. Which comes in handy since it is in fact a moment I want to savor. I hope the singers were not offended that instead of soaking in the music I yanked out the old smart phone. But a day later it sure is nice to hear it again.

I can see their smiles, notice the harmony, enjoy that of all the things twenty teenagers could do on a Friday night they were giving voice to making a silent night not so much so. 

The people I bonded with in high school and college are still some of my dearest companions. We sang together too, and played games as if there wasn't a stack of textbooks tapping its toes. We no longer live down the hall from each other in a dormitory, but we find time to connect. 

Perhaps there is a techie person somewhere who gets credit for inventing such video loops. Twenty five years ago my oldest son made one on a tape deck, if you even know what those are, for a science project. He rigged it to the refrigerator, and if someone left the door open for more that eight seconds the reprimanding voice kicked in and wouldn't quit until it closed.

"You left the fridge open! We are the food inside and are getting warm. Remember to shut it! You left the fridge open! We are the food inside and are getting warm. Remember to shut it. You left the fridge open..."

For an eight year old engineer it was epic. 

Perhaps the seminal repeating feature is the one inside the human brain. How many times do we have to rehash stale conversations, and imaginary reprimands before we pull the plug? Why do we endure the same diatribe over and over as if it will, you know, improve?