
From magical musical masterpieces to awesome animal awwww moments, here's this week's roundup of delight.
Last week's 10 things that made us smile post included a disproportionate number of dogs, and this week's post includes an unusual amount of music. Not sure how these things happen exactly, but I'm gonna go ahead and blame The Algorithm.
I love music. How could anyone not love music? Humans have made music since time immemorial, in every culture around the world. Few things unite people like music can, without having to speak one another's languages, without having to say a word. We hear a well-performed piece of music and we are transformed, like magic.
In this week's list, we have music being played and enjoyed by young and old as a reminder of the wonderful things humans can create. We need that reminder in the face of destruction that we are builders of beauty when we choose to be.
We also have sweet reminders of the bonds between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren. And we have "spicy purritos," just because it made me smile.
Hope this week's list of 10 things makes you smile as well.
1. This graduating dad and his proud daughter taking his picture are a whole mood.
It's graduation time from now till mid-June, with all the relief and pride and sense of accomplishment that goes along with it. Congrats grads—but especially this grad dad.
2. Awesome marimba band plays Vivaldi's "Spring" from "The Four Seasons."
Nothing like a bit of Vivaldi played by The Goede Hoop Marimba Band to bring joy to any day #WednesdayMotivationpic.twitter.com/lTeNOF5XDZ— Alison Kriel \ud83d\udc99 #ubuntu #AntiRacist (@Alison Kriel \ud83d\udc99 #ubuntu #AntiRacist) 1652855643
We shared a different awesome marimba band video recently, and this one has similar energy. So much joy. So much fun. Such great music.
3. The vets call the mad kitties "spicy purritos." SPICY. PURRITOS.
My friend Liz is a vet tech, and they call the cats they have to wrap up so they don\u2019t claw the vet \u201cspicy purritos\u201d \nI thought everyone needed to know— Chelsea M. Cameron (@Chelsea M. Cameron) 1652495611
Yes, everyone did need to know this.
4. Mama sloth reuniting with her baby sloth is a big ol' awwww moment.
Awwww. Seriously. I've never seen a sloth move that fast.
5. Dad shares what his '80s upbringing was like and it's total Gen X nostalgia.
@shadyraro The 80’s was the best decade #80s #80skid #oldschool #genx #parents #funny #family #foryou #fyp
I know I'm dating myself here, but this video is 100% my childhood. The cassette tape struggle was so real, and I think I still have scars on my shins from those dang bike pedals.
There's also a Part 2, worth watching purely for the reminder that we really used to have ashtrays everywhere.
@shadyraro The 80’s was the best decade Part 2 #80s #80skid #oldschool #genx #parents #funny #family #foryou #fyp
And that "online" pun. Nice.
6. Barefoot pianist blesses the rains down in Africa using every part of his piano.
Peter Bence's "Africa" rendition is wicked impressive and oh so entertaining. Read the full story here.
7. 88-year-old momma gettin' down to Janet Jackson before bed is aging goals.
Lord, give us her groove and energy.
8. Five-year-old piano prodigy rocking the Mozart on the ivories is reverse aging goals.
On the other end of the age spectrum, holy moly. This is Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani, a 5-year-old piano prodigy from Italy, playing Mozart.
His parents are both professional musicians and his mother says he started playing when the pandemic shut everything down. Now here he is winning international music competitions. She tells Italian media that he does take plenty of time for school and play and television, so don't worry that the kid is being forced to practice for hours. Kid just has some serious musical chops.
9. She plays piano for her 93-year-old grandpa who has Alzheimer's and he loves it.
Speaking of piano and aging, this is so sweet. Alzheimer's is rough, but that thumbs up is so sincere.
10. This joyful "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" cover, just because it's so fun.
This one is certainly worth unearthing for the sheer happiness of it all. One of the best songs ever made, truly, and one we all love to sing along with friends. The simple truth of that line, "Life goes on, brah." Reason #472 to thank the Beatles.
Hope that got your toes tapping and brought a little pep to your step as you head through the weekend. Come back again next week for another roundup of joy!
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."