Google-age? On a Tuesday?

Because you've gone so long without it, a little taste of some Tuesday Google-age:

"funny wedding ditty" - For those less formal occasions, where "The Wedding March" just seems too stuffy.

virginity "i'm still me" - Finally, virginity takes a slogan. Next up: a catchy theme song!

2007 graduation quotes that rhyme - "My college degree took a lifetime to get, but I've got it! And also? A lifetime of debt."

ideas for improving myself as a teacher - Regular beatings and public humiliation. No, I'm just kidding. (About one of them.)

toilet peeing at girls restroom - Is there another way we're supposed to do it?

bathing mate's tennis shoes - You know that I love shoes and all, but I think the greater point of interest here is... What's a bathing mate?

life flies by poems - Maybe poems should move a little faster.

And my recent favorite:
the toy where you put your ankle in a ring and a ball is at the end of it - I think most people refer to this as "marriage."

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In other news, could I be any slower about answering your questions? Of all the bloggers who've done this, I'm fairly certain I'm the absolute worst about getting around to responding. You were so good to ask, and I've taken forever to answer.

The always-beautiful Amanda asked:

What has been the biggest surprise to you as far as experiencing joy?

Honestly? That I could again, after my depression. It was like being a totally different person, being that depressed, and whoever that person was, she seemed incapable of experiencing genuine happiness. Oh sure, she could make jokes now and then, and laugh along with the crowd, but there was no real joy in any of that. Everything in those days was dampened by a sort of hopelessness - a sense that life was terrible, but there was nothing to do about it. And it honestly felt to me like it would be that way forever.

Fortunately, it wasn't forever. Medication helped with the chemical problems, and therapy helped with the emotional problems, and soon I was declared in remission of my depression. Of course, getting out of a depression doesn't mean the sadness all goes away, so I still had down days. But those bad days were less frequent, and soon I was having genuinely good days too. I started having days where I felt strong and hopeful about my future. And then one day, it happened: In the middle of some completely mundane activity, it just hit me:

I was happy.

Not happy to be doing whatever I was doing. Not happy because something good had happened, or because someone said something nice to me. Just happy, all by itself. Until that moment, I hadn't been sure I would ever get there again.

Since then, those moments have come more and more often. And these days, I'd say my normal mode of being is happy. I tend to complain about a lot of little things, but when it comes down to it, I like myself and where I'm at these days. Joy is a regular part of my life again.

And that, Amanda, was the biggest surprise of all.