Notes, Notings, and Common Refrains

Rather than list the good vs bad of 2010 (which may just leave me feeling depressed), here are some randomish thoughts I've had (and/or things I've learned), at some point, this year, but never got around to posting in this space:

1. Sometime in late spring (I think) I heard an interview with a scientist on the radio about how the senses of smell and hearing are directly connected. As soon as I started thinking about it, the more sense (heh) it made, especially when you consider how strongly tied to our emotions both smell and hearing are.
   
   1. And thus, how distraught so many Hearing parents get when they learn their child is deaf -- fearing that the child won't have access to happiness or love.
      
   2. But they forget how many sounds in the world are ugly, and trigger subconscious feelings of anxiety and depression. And maybe that's why I felt so much calmer when I was in full immersion Sign Language class -- my brain was freed from having to pay any attention to sound. (see Sneaky Hate Spiral and note how many of those random triggers are actually sounds). Sometimes, being deaf is the Deaf Benefit.
   
   
   
2. Sesame Street Meta-thought (Crack!fic edition): Ernie is actually a figment of Bert's imagination. No. Really. Go back and watch some of the classic skits. It fits.
   
   
3. If nothing else, 2010 was the year "Don't ask, Don't tell" was repealed. That's worth a celebration.
   
   
4. 2010 Had an Art Garden in it (okay, so I did post about that, here. But it's something I want to remember as a good thing about the year).
   
   
5. 2010 was the year I became comfortable self-identifying as "atheist," without having to apologize or explain it, to myself, or anyone else. Even if you are a theist, I hope you can be happy for me in my comfort with self-identification.

Went grocery shopping, today. The guy at checkout was actively cheerful -- putting extra thought into his "holiday" wishes, deliberately choosing his words:

"I hope you have a very happy New Year, and that 2011 gives you everything you missed out on, in 2010."

I chuckled, and said: "Well, just all the good things."

And he laughed, and said: "Yes, that's what I meant."

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I hope that thoughtfulness and good cheer is an omen for things to come -- for me, and you.