Heather’s Blog

Generally not a good idea, meeting guys in a bar. It’s like going grocery shopping when you’re hungry; you bring home stuff you don’t need.

~ Cory Kahaney

I found this in the sidebar of another blog
I’m sure I have way more then just one secret haha

“Every single person has at least one secret that would break your heart. If we could just remember this, I think there would be a lot more compassion and tolerance in the world”

~Unknown

This is written by a friend of mine named Julie J she emailed it to me after we were chatting so I asked if I could blog it to share it with the rest of my friends.

People have asked me.
Deaf? Oh, hmm… how do I explain that?
Simple: I can’t hear.

No, wait… it is much more than that.
It is similar to a goldfish in a bowl,
Always observing things going on.
People talking at all times.
It is like a man on his own island
among foreigners.

Isolation is no stranger to me.
Relatives say hi and bye
But I sit for 5 hours among them
Taking great pleasure at amusing babies
or being amused by TV.
Reading books, resting, help out with food.

Natural curiosity perks up
upon seeing great laughter, crying, and anger.
Inquiring only to meet with a “Never mind” or
“Oh, it’s not important”.
Getting a summarized statement
of the whole day.

I’m supposed to smile to show my happiness.
Little do they know how truly miserable I am.
People are in control of language usage,
I am at loss and really uncomfortable!

Always feeling like an outsider
among the hearing people,
Even though it was not their intention.

Always assuming that I am part of them
by my physical presence, not understanding
the importance of communication.

Facing the choice between Deaf Event weekends
or a family reunion.
Facing the choice between the family commitment
And Deaf friends.
I must make the choices constantly,
any wonder why I choose Deaf friends???

I get such great pleasure at the Deaf clubs,
before I realize it; it is already 2:00 am,
whereas I anxiously look at the clock
every few minutes at the Family Reunion.

With Deaf people, I feel so normal,
our communication flows back and forth.
Catch up with little trivial, our daily life,
our frustration in the bigger world,
Seeking the mutual understanding,
Contented smiles and laughter are musical.
So magical to me,
so attuned to each other’s feelings.
True happiness is so important.

I feel more at home with Deaf people
of various colors, religion, short or tall.
Than I do among my own hearing relatives.
And you wonder why?
Our language is common.
We understand each other.

Being at loss of control
of the environment that is communication,
People panic and retreat to avoid
Deaf people are like the plague.

But Deaf people are still human beings
with dreams, desires, and needs
to belong, just like everyone else.

(Do you ever feel that way?)

This is the way it should always be…

“The less we look with our eyes, the more we will see with our hearts.”

- Lyndsey Albrecht

Why does this seem to be so true?

Good judgement comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgement.

– Rita Mae Brown