You know what else I've been thinking?

[conuly]

Birdsongs.

No, bear with me here. This makes sense. See, in all these articles about autism, people get sniffy and say that "I'll never hear him say he loves me!!!" This is actually very similar to many articles I've read about people with deaf kids, except then it's often that they will never hear their parents say those words. And then somebody always says that, for this poor, unfortunate person, there are no birdsongs. It's always birds. They'll never hear the birds sing.

*listens to the birds for a bit*

You know what?

Birdsong is overrated. Do you know what birds are singing? They're singing "Get the fuck out of here" and "Hey, baby, let's do it" and "I've got a great big tonker" and "OUT! OUT! OUT! OFF MY LAWN, PUNK!" and that's about it.

Now, if *I* were deaf, or if I had a kid who was born deaf, I'd be a lot more concerned about not hearing sirens or car horns or gunshots and therefore might be endangered by this fact. But that's just me. I'm sure that, in the long run, it's more important to hear "I love you" and birdsong.

I mean, it must be, right?

(Yes, this is entirely random. Sorry.)

On a similar note, I often have wondered why people want to go back to the 50s. I know about the 50s. It was a veritible nightmare of racism, conformity, McCarthyism, sexism, and the Korean war. Who the hell wants to return to that? Other than the obvious, that is.

Comments

[leora.livejournal.com]

Bird song tends to annoy me and make me grumpy. But then, I mostly associate it with the coming of the new day and the damn cheery birds twirping their heads off while I'm tired and have work to finish.

I like music though. Not being able to hear great works of music is much sadder.

Your kids not being able to hear you say, I love you is pretty irrelevant. You can sign it. Or better yet - you can show your kids you love them by trying to be good to them and actually loving them. Wait, sorry, that's hard. Saying "I love you" is much easier.

[rachelkachel]

Not being able to hear great works of music is much sadder.

That's my opinion. I really don't care that much about birdsong - maybe if I could identify them and actually listened, I would, but I don't. And people saying "I love you"? Exactly as you said, there are plenty of other ways to show it. Like hugs and stuff.

But I'd hate not to be able to hear music.

[pne.livejournal.com]

Your kids not being able to hear you say, I love you is pretty irrelevant. You can sign it.

That's the first thought that popped into my mind when I read that bit, too.

Though perhaps those people think that spoken language is inherently superior, or perhaps the only "true" way of communicating.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I hug my kids, I buy them toys, I spend time with them, I try and get them treats. And I tell them I love them.

I fuss at my friends when they're sick, or don't eat. I listen when someone wants to talk, if I can. I ask how people are doing, and try to pay attention to them. And I tell them I love them.

For these things, that seem so simple and automatic to me, I get told I'm a wonderful and rare person. That confuses the hell out of me...I mean, none of it's a difficult concept. What is so difficult to understand about "If you care you pay attention" ????