“Arrummm hrmb garbbbh uppmm blumummph.”
“Sweetie, are you talking to me?”
“NO!” barks my husband. Aspies often have a barking response to unsolicited or unexpected vocal inputs from other people. It can be startling or considered rude.
Hmmm. Okay doke. “Were you talking to the dog or to yourself?” I ask.
Silence. I waited. No other sounds emanated from Steve.
Did you ever notice that silent has the exact same letters as listen?
“Sweetie, if you need something please let me know using your words. Otherwise I’ll be up in my office.”
Still no response. Whatever it was apparently didn’t involve me, so off I go.
There are many times that I hear conversation in the other room or outside. I go to see who’s there and only see my husband. Sometimes the dog is with him, so it doesn’t seem quite so strange to hear Steve talking. It could be to her. But it is weird when he’s busy talking to himself.
Full blown conversations, sometimes debates, even rehearsals of upcoming events. Maybe talking to God. Whatever. Just as long as he isn’t arguing with himself and losing, I guess.
When the dog is around he will wink at her, wave at her, nod his head or make strange faces at her. She doesn’t mind as long as he scratches her nether regions. I will only scratch her head or chest. She likes him better. Fine with me.
For years after we met and married Steve would suddenly break out in baby talk. I never talked to my kids in baby talk. I don’t talk to the dog in baby talk. Kids learn language from the time they are in utero so I see no sense in teaching them wrong when they are infants and toddlers. Kids mimic everything around them as you may have noticed.
I don’t mind nonsensical words such as those in Dr. Seuss books. Brilliant. But I find baby talk offensive. Thankfully my hubby has stopped his habit around myself and the kids. He will occasionally go off on some silly speech in a falsetto voice, but will stop when we ask him to use his real voice.
When I hear my Sweetie vocalizing, once I’ve determined that he isn’t addressing me, I try not to interrupt…
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