There’s a baby in the building. With the windows open at this time of year, sound travels far and easily. The baby vocalizes but doesn’t talk yet. I like it: the screeching is direct and natural. You don’t know exactly what’s on their mind but you know something is.

I’ve had very little exposure to babies. I think this is the most I’ve experienced with this vocalizing non-speech phase.

I’ve been listening to audiobooks lately. Easy listening self-help is a fair description I think. They’re good for winding down before sleep. I’m on my second Cheri Huber book. What’s lingering in my head is her brief description of the socialization process and the long term unfortunate effect it can have. We get a lot of negative messaging when we’re wee. Most parents don’t intentionally try to harm us but they did to us what was done to them in socialization. I think we all know this, but it doesn’t soften me like it might others.

So I guess I get to listen in as the baby downstairs eventually changes from the screeching natural self to the insecure socialized self. Sad and violent that will be, probably.