Last year was the first year I recall picking a theme word for the year. I don't recall if I've done it before, I might have. Last year's theme word was Embrace, which made it about a month before it faded from my awareness. Lots of people asking me about it, flak from, well, Arnaud the A-- pretty much dampened my enthusiasm for it, and I stopped with the theme word as I concentrated more on not jumping off the roof at work.

Despite the spectacular failure of last year's theme word to guide me through the year, I'm going to try again with a theme word this year. This year's theme word is

Now, I completely recognize the irony of this word as this year's theme word. You would, too, if you realized I'm about 80% deaf in one of my ears. Newly deaf, no less. So newly deaf that I still don't turn my head the correct way to hear people out of my good ear, I hold the phone up to the deaf ear, and I don't know how to read lips yet. I expect all of these will come with time.

So, to have Listen as my theme word may be odd.

And, yet, it is perfect.

I'm listening more to what other people have to say. Not only just hearing what other people have to say, but listening to what they say. I think this is a good thing. Finding the good parts from the words of people I like and respect is easy. Finding the good parts in the words of people who speak eloquently and well is easy (they summarize what they're saying). Finding the good parts from ignorant or disagreeable or stupid or frustrating people is much, much harder, and requires listening.

And that's my goal for this year, despite my newly acquired handicap.

To listen.

• Log in to read full content