C happiness
Feb. 5th, 2013 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
So my journal has been just a tad negative recently, what with academic exploitation, cancer, slavery, the Holocaust and relationship break-ups. Some of my friends are playing that meme where you have to name things that make you happy or things you are grateful for beginning with a particular letter. That seems like just the thing to cheer things up, and
khalinche gave me a C.
Communication The best relationships in my life are ones where people tell me what's on their mind and take time to explain how they work. And we tell eachother what we want changing about either our situation or our specific interaction, and listen carefully. And assume good faith and put the effort in to clearing up misunderstandings rather than being quick to take offence.
Computers Well, not really computers per se, but living in a world with pretty much unlimited computing power available. I particularly enjoy the applications that allow me to be in constant touch with my friends wherever they live; it's almost like my childhood fantasy of living in a post-geography world. Having essentially unlimited memory for life-logging, storing every piece of text I've ever written and every snapshot I've ever taken without taking up significant space. Having the internet always available as a prosthetic brain, as well as a bottomless source of entertainment. The ability to throw sheer brute force computing power at hard problems, everything from automated navigation to picking out patterns from simultaneous analysis of changes to tens or hundreds of thousands of genes.
Cuddling It is a really amazing joy to have people in my life who appreciate lots and lots of touch and expressing affection on a body level and sometimes exploring a huge range of delightful sensual things. I don't place cuddling in opposition to sex, because sometimes they go together really well, but it's also its own distinct thing and that's one of the things I love about it.
Colleagues I'm trying to do something really difficult at work at the moment, I'm not entirely succeeding in what I set out to do, but my colleagues are being incredibly supportive and understanding. In general my workplace really feels like a team who work together for a common aim. I don't get on perfectly well with everyone or agree with everyone, but they're all on my side, they're all willing to rise above differences because we all believe in giving our students the best education possible.
C25K I've really enjoyed gradually building up from being completely unable to run at all to being able to run for 30 minutes or 5 km. Not 5 km in 30 minutes yet, I'm much much much slower than that. But it's amazing to me that I'm able to run 5km at all, I really never thought I'd be able to do that. I love the structured programme and knowing what's a sensible amount to push myself so that I improve but don't try to take on too much and have to give up. The
c25k community has been incredibly helpful, and people have supported me in comments there and on Fitocracy and here. I'm particularly grateful to
mathcathy and
rmc28 for inspiring me to try learning to run and to keep going.
Campaigning for marriage equality Extending marriage to all couples is not my number one political priority, and the proposed legal change being discussed at the moment is far from perfect. But I am really, really appreciating all the people who have posted pro-marriage statements on social media in support of equal marriage, the people who are actively campaigning for a long overdue political change, the people who are complaining because there are still massive inequalities eg for trans and non-binary people. Some of the campaigners are straight, some of them belong to religions with non-egalitarian if not outright homophobic doctrines, and their participation really does make me feel loved and accepted within my society. I also appreciate the religious groups who have insisted in the face of opposition that they do in fact want to have the right to marry same-sex couples in a legally meaningful religious ceremony, including my own denomination, the Reform Movement, who were a bit late to get on the bandwagon but are currently part of that lobby.
Cups of tea I was introduced to tea when I was a teenager and ended up walking from the swimming pool to my grandmother's house with wet hair and not enough clothes, and she fed me sweet milky tea to warm me up. I still take my tea with too much milk (though I've stopped adding sugar) and it tastes of being loved and cared for. I drink tea pretty much constantly throughout the day; it makes me feel alert if I'm tired, and focused if I'm distracted, and calm if I'm stressed.
Comment if you'd like a letter!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Communication The best relationships in my life are ones where people tell me what's on their mind and take time to explain how they work. And we tell eachother what we want changing about either our situation or our specific interaction, and listen carefully. And assume good faith and put the effort in to clearing up misunderstandings rather than being quick to take offence.
Computers Well, not really computers per se, but living in a world with pretty much unlimited computing power available. I particularly enjoy the applications that allow me to be in constant touch with my friends wherever they live; it's almost like my childhood fantasy of living in a post-geography world. Having essentially unlimited memory for life-logging, storing every piece of text I've ever written and every snapshot I've ever taken without taking up significant space. Having the internet always available as a prosthetic brain, as well as a bottomless source of entertainment. The ability to throw sheer brute force computing power at hard problems, everything from automated navigation to picking out patterns from simultaneous analysis of changes to tens or hundreds of thousands of genes.
Cuddling It is a really amazing joy to have people in my life who appreciate lots and lots of touch and expressing affection on a body level and sometimes exploring a huge range of delightful sensual things. I don't place cuddling in opposition to sex, because sometimes they go together really well, but it's also its own distinct thing and that's one of the things I love about it.
Colleagues I'm trying to do something really difficult at work at the moment, I'm not entirely succeeding in what I set out to do, but my colleagues are being incredibly supportive and understanding. In general my workplace really feels like a team who work together for a common aim. I don't get on perfectly well with everyone or agree with everyone, but they're all on my side, they're all willing to rise above differences because we all believe in giving our students the best education possible.
C25K I've really enjoyed gradually building up from being completely unable to run at all to being able to run for 30 minutes or 5 km. Not 5 km in 30 minutes yet, I'm much much much slower than that. But it's amazing to me that I'm able to run 5km at all, I really never thought I'd be able to do that. I love the structured programme and knowing what's a sensible amount to push myself so that I improve but don't try to take on too much and have to give up. The
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![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Campaigning for marriage equality Extending marriage to all couples is not my number one political priority, and the proposed legal change being discussed at the moment is far from perfect. But I am really, really appreciating all the people who have posted pro-marriage statements on social media in support of equal marriage, the people who are actively campaigning for a long overdue political change, the people who are complaining because there are still massive inequalities eg for trans and non-binary people. Some of the campaigners are straight, some of them belong to religions with non-egalitarian if not outright homophobic doctrines, and their participation really does make me feel loved and accepted within my society. I also appreciate the religious groups who have insisted in the face of opposition that they do in fact want to have the right to marry same-sex couples in a legally meaningful religious ceremony, including my own denomination, the Reform Movement, who were a bit late to get on the bandwagon but are currently part of that lobby.
Cups of tea I was introduced to tea when I was a teenager and ended up walking from the swimming pool to my grandmother's house with wet hair and not enough clothes, and she fed me sweet milky tea to warm me up. I still take my tea with too much milk (though I've stopped adding sugar) and it tastes of being loved and cared for. I drink tea pretty much constantly throughout the day; it makes me feel alert if I'm tired, and focused if I'm distracted, and calm if I'm stressed.
Comment if you'd like a letter!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-05 08:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-05 09:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-07 10:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-05 09:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-05 09:35 pm (UTC)How about H?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-05 09:13 pm (UTC)I feel like this comes from my soul :3
Letter please?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-05 09:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-06 12:59 am (UTC)It was a pleasure to read about your joys, but especially how you describe computing. I get overcome with awe when I think about the computing power and possibilities we have available now. Growing up with it has been like seeing a tree go from sapling to, well, the metaphor that comes to mind is 'Yggdrasil'.
I still take my tea with too much milk (though I've stopped adding sugar) and it tastes of being loved and cared for.
I think of "milky coffee" (instant coffee made with milk instead of water) this way. It's what my dad gave me to drink as a teenager and he makes it for me in the morning when I go home to visit. We have a somewhat awkward and usually distant relationship so I especially treasure habits like this.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-06 09:54 am (UTC)Yay milky coffee and connecting to your dad.
Have an N. You have a wonderful way of describing things and I look forward to seeing your list.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-06 12:56 pm (UTC)Letter?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-06 09:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-06 07:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-06 10:00 pm (UTC)