Pictures

From playing around with my aforementioned new camera.

New camera, I have

So beware my picture blogs in the near future. Once I figure out how the darn thing works.

And yes, it's green. Blends in with the surroundings, I say. :)

Voice over

It is well-known that we tend to take many things for granted. Love, friendship, health, shelter, food; the list can go on forever.

These last days, I discovered another one. My voice.

For several days I have been ill (a common cold) that had the odd side-effect of rendering my voice nearly useless. The best thing that got out of my mouth was a whisper or a squeak. No, it wasn't pretty.

I found I relied heavily on communication devices that don't require my voice to tell people of my condition -- text messaging, e-mail. I can't tell you how many times I thought, "hey, I wanna call [insert random name here]", only to realize that I couldn't.

Frustrating? Sometimes. But it did make me realize how big a role one's voice plays in most social interaction (and work-related communication, too). Something I have never before been so aware of.

Weird how such a small thing, like being ill, can turn your world upside-down for a while and make you appreciate what you have. I truly am grateful to have my voice back. Even if I am not always content with its tone or timbre, at least I have a voice. Some people don't.

In celebration of having a voice, make yours heard. Scream with me! On the count of three: one... two... three... scream!

...

You didn't scream, did you?

What you're feeling now is a self-consciousness about your voice similar to the one I experienced.

Learn from it.

Why? Because I say so, dammit.