I wrote an entire post about narcissism this morning, and then decided I probably shouldn’t post it.
Years of social media have turned my brain to mush, in some respects. Look at me, out here, thinking I actually have something important to say about something I’m not remotely qualified to talk about. I have a narcissist in my orbit, and that’s a situation that requires careful navigation, but generally speaking, I can’t speak with authority or certainty about it. So probably best not to wade in those waters.
And frankly, I don’t want my little, tiny corner of the internet to be devoted to other people’s bullshit. There are *plenty* of other spaces devoted to that kind of thing.
So here’s what I’ve been doing lately:
Going to the Bluff
The bluff is my little natural spot for my Montana Master Naturalist class, so I’ve been spending a little more time there, among the Ponderosa Pine and the spotted knapweed (boo!).
Drawing Animals
I’m taking an animal sketching/creature design class — beginner — on Sunday afternoons. It is super fun, even if I’m not great at it. I love it.
Learning a smidge of ASL
My grandmother lost almost all of her hearing as she aged (both my grandparents did), and times being what they were, she tried to ignore it as long as possible and avoided wearing hearing aids (which, admittedly weren’t all that great to begin with). Her hearing loss became a barrier to social interaction in her later years, which exacerbated her depression and anxiety.
Near the end of her life, she developed a form of dementia, and while her hearing loss likely didn’t cause it, it may have contributed to some of her struggles with it.
My hearing is still good for a person my age, although because of injury or infection, I have tinnitus (and some hearing loss) in my left ear.
This is a start. I don’t know if I’ll ever be in a position to converse in ASL, but I’ll at least know some fingerspelling.
The self-paced, online course is from Ashley Clark Fry, and it can be found here: https://signedwithheart.teachable.com/p/fingerspelling101
(She has a neat Instagram account, too.)
I was awake very early this morning, and to occupy my mind until I could fall asleep again, I practiced fingerspelling animal names… a-l-l-i-g-a-t-o-r… b-i-s-o-n… slowly and haltingly.
We’ll see where it goes.
(And yeah, I’ll be making use of whatever assistive devices are available to me as I need them. Goal for 2023: hearing test and consultation with someone who knows about these things.)
Carmen Yount 