Cock-a-Doodle-Dooo! It's MY year!!

It only happens once every twelve or so years...

Published on February 10, 2005 By Professor Sue In Current Events

I was excited to discover that this is the Year of the Rooster by the Chinese zodiac system. I'm not much for the "science" of horoscopes, but any tradition that's nearly 5000 years old is inherently neat-o in my book. The complexity of the system is really cool, too. Instead of a simple 12-month/year-based cycle, there's a 12-YEAR cycle interspersed with five subsets for each of the twelve intervals. Thus, as a rooster-earth person, it's actually really only "my year" twice in my lifetime (about every sixty years)-- _if I'm lucky_. Many people, of course, live far fewer than 60 years. I'm about half-way through my 60-year cycle; I think my rendez-vous is in 2029. Still, since the Rooster year comes but once every 12 years in any form, I still feel special this year.

It will clearly be a change-filled year. My husband and I live in the Detroit area, which we don't really like much. There're lots of nice people, but we haven't met many interesting people. That's been disappointing. Additionally, the racial tensions here are pretty awful. I'm a sociologist, so I know one cannot completely escape racial tensions anywhere in this country, but the North seems to maintain some idea that is is "progressive" with respect to race relations. That's a total lie. White people here will ROUTINELY "share" their true feelings, whether you want them to do so or not. Too many folks simply assume that, because you share their skin color, you will share their bigotry. If you're like me, ou're left simply wanting to kick them-- and certainly disgusted at the prospect of spending any more of your precious 75-or-so year's time w/them. I grew up here, and much of my family still lives here. I realize of course that many of my family members share similar ideas, despite their propensity for church-going. Usually they at least resist sharing their "insights" with me. I especially like the rationalizations that begin, "I'm not a racist, but..." Yeah. I moved back a few years ago, and I'm glad I did b/c my dad died about a year ago and I got to spend a lot of time with him before he did die (suddenly). I was lucky to actually have him say one summer afternoon as we yammered on for hours that, "he never should have said all that [racist] stuff to me when I was a kid; I didn't realize what they were teaching you in catachism." That's always been the great irony to me: there are supposedly so many Christians/religious zealots in this country, and yet racist justifications for maintaining segregation and poverty thrive. For me, when I was eight and they gave me the "all God's children" line in catachism, I bought it. I have ever since. Others came to the same sort of conclusion I did, but not so routinely or pervasively. Anyway, I'm at least glad my dad was able to acknowledge what he did. But I'm nonetheless remembering well why it is that I moved away from the Detroit area the first time (when I was 18). I've taken a teaching job in D.C. at Gallaudet University. We're hoping my husband will find something promising in DC as well. At least it'll be a good bit more cosmopolitan, which means there will be a greater critical mass of interesting, thinking people. That'll be good. I'll be teaching at THE school for the deaf (especially at the university level) in the US, and that should be an adventure in and of itself, particularly since I do not currently sign. I'll start lessons in July.

As a kid, I imagined moving to DC in 2005. I was presuming I'd be moving into the White House-- that was before I realized that girls didn't get to be president in America. I had it all figured out, though-- it was "my destiny." See, I was born on January 19, 1970. One must be 35 to become president. If I had run in the 2004 election, I'd have been elected at age 34 but would turn 35 the day before innauguration day. Destiny, right? Well, no. But maybe destiny of another sort in that I will, as it turns out, be moving to DC in 2005!

I became attuned to how closely my birthday fell against innauguration day in 1981. One of my favorite cousins was taken hostage in Iran in 1979. November. I can remember well riding in our Volkswagon one cold night as my parents told me what had happened. I suddenly became quite keenly aware of politics and world affairs. When the hostages were released the day after my birthday in 1981, I can remember sitting around with my aunts waiting with baited breath to see what would happen to the hostages. One aunt gave me a $1 for my birthday. My cousin was released the next day. We had a big party. I remember being really irritated by the fact that the hostages were released one day after Carter left office. I liked and admired Carter even then. I wrote him to thank him for all he'd done to negotiate the hostages' release. I still have his reply letter. I spent a lot of time that year writing political officials. That was before I realized that such things don't do much unless one is running a large company. I will give kudos to my then-representative Jim Blanchard, though. He came to visit me and talk with me WITHOUT an entourage, and I always appreciated that. There wasn't much he could do, of course, but I appreciated the sincerity of his effort. He gave me a big book-- hard cover. It was a biography of the US Presidents. It fed the idea in my that I could be president one day, though I did begin to notice how ALL of these people were men...still are. I still have the book, with his signature. And a few "Free the Hostages" pins. My cousin was actually drafted-- I mean "called"-- back to the Mideast just recently b/c he has some special skills they need in Iraq. He's in Baghdad this time. Hopefully he's safe. Seems like he should've gotten a "buy" on having to return to the mideast on miliary assignment after the whole hostage ordeal. Plus, cripe, he's pretty old now! Geriatric warriors...

Anyway, a bit about me. A bit of stream of consciousness. Let me know if you or anyone else you know is interested in buying or renting a home near the GM tech center in Warren, MI. The next adventure is to do something w/our house (which is quite nice-- we wish we could somehow move it to DC).

Comments

grant

on Feb 14, 2005

Gallaudet, a very prestegious university. You better research deaf culture. If they can see you are trying the limited signing will not be a problem. but you should know that deaf people are the best readers of facial expression on the planet, if you are disingenuous or patronizing they will eat you for lunch. Thats my nickles worth of free advice. Congratulations and I think you will find deaf culture to be one of the most unique cultures in the world and a very good one at that. Best of luck.

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