Observations

It is horrible when family members or even close friends dont try to meet you half way and learn some sign language, its a beautiful language!
 
anlos09 said:
It is horrible when family members or even close friends dont try to meet you half way and learn some sign language, its a beautiful language!
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It really is. That's what gets me the most. It doesn't actually bother me that I'm losing my hearing. Sure, it's inconvenient and the tinnitus drives me insane, but hey, whatever. What bothers me is, I have to live with it the rest of my life, and my family and friends all exhibit signs of not caring.
 
:wave:Cdodd
I'm 40, hoh, started losing my hearing some years ago, I believe....also possible APD <that link LoveBlue gave you>. I was born very premature and doctors told my mom I was missing inner ear bones so so I don't know.
I tend to do well with languages and was exposed to ASL while working at a recreational program for kids with behavioral disabilities and d/Deaf kids. It was in college. Program had Deaf staff. I learned a lot. Took ASL by hearing man in college and didn't learn so much. Later met someone who happened to be Deaf and she started re-teaching me and I got together with some Deaf folks where I am. I'm sure not fluent but I try.

Hubby and I sign some at home but he <oral deaf> was raised as a solitaire and is shy to try anything more.
 
It's nice to meet you. I'm actually preparing to start taking ASL classes up at Utah State University. I just found out that the Deaf education program was set up by a Deaf man who happens to teach ASL at the college. Needless to say, I'm excited.
 
hey :) cool about the classes! A few years back I took a great class taught by Deaf of Deaf, someone who was very involved in the community. I can understand why you're excited.

Good luck!
 
Cdodd said:
It really is. That's what gets me the most. It doesn't actually bother me that I'm losing my hearing. Sure, it's inconvenient and the tinnitus drives me insane, but hey, whatever. What bothers me is, I have to live with it the rest of my life, and my family and friends all exhibit signs of not caring.
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Yeah i can only imagine! Sorry you're going through that and i hope they come around. Make sure they know it makes you think they don't care..
 
anlos09 said:
Yeah i can only imagine! Sorry you're going through that and i hope they come around. Make sure they know it makes you think they don't care..
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I think they know. They just don't care. :/ It is what it is.
 
ah, now i understand your little tidbit about not being completely deaf... seriously though find a audi that CARES about HELPING you hear the best you can.. it makes a HUGE world of difference. I have a cochlear Implant and I had a couple bad audi's before I finally said no, this is not what i am going to do, I need to maximize my hearing to the best potential possible, so I need to find someone else that will help me do that, and it's been better ever since then. the whole signing thing happens to everyone i think. my mom and my sisters sign, but my dad doesn't and there are other people iin my family that doesn't.. but i do have deaf friends that sign, and some hearing friends that sign, and some that don't.. I suppose being affluent eh? :)
 
This past week, I went the yearly company meeting which is a good presentation of what we will do for the next year. We get free breakfast and lunch along with the opportunity to socialize and meet co-workers.

I get my breakfast and sit close to the main podium so I can hear and see everything. I know I won't understand everything, but I try to be in the best position to understand what is happening. Without fail, every year, someone sits next to me that I can't understand what they say, it is usually a strikingly beautiful woman, this year was no different.

As usual(for anyone) the first thing she does is ask if the seat next to me is taken and I reply by shaking my head(This is the easy part, she is pointing to the chair). I don't want to appear rude, but to start a conversation is not the best thing to do with 300+ people creating background noise so I continue to eat, nervously knowing what is to come.

(When I have these conversations I'm always reminded of the movie National Treasure starring Nicholas Cage. In it, he tries to explain to another character that he is looking for lost treasure. What gets me about the dialog isn't the subject matter, it's how fast the other party loses interest so in my mind, during these conversations, I paraphrase the lines from the movie)

The woman begins the conversation:

She says, "Hello, my name is xxx" and she extends a hand to shake.
(No problem) I understand the introduction, say my name and shake her hand

She then says something I can't hear about the room, people or work.
I ask her to repeat it.
(In my mind, from the movie, I think of the quote: "This is were we lost the FBI")

She she restates what she said.
I tell her again I couldn't understand it.
(In my mind, "And that's, were we lost the department of homeland security")

She makes one last try..
One more what from me.
She shakes her head, does not make another attempt and decides to talk to the person to the opposite side of her.

At this point, I would love to tell her that I'm a treasure hunter and I need to take a look at her copy of Declaration of Independence because there is a treasure map on the opposite side. Instead, I just tell her I am deaf. She apologizes and the next conversations go a little smoother.

Moral of the story: You have to take the lead when people are talking, you can't let them start. You have to set the scene. Tell them up-front you can't hear and interject and ask what is being talked about when you enter a conversation that is already started. Otherwise, you'll never get the treasure.
 
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VacationGuy234 said:
This past week, I went the yearly company meeting which is a good presentation of what we will do for the next year. We get free breakfast and lunch along with the opportunity to socialize and meet co-workers.

I get my breakfast and sit close to the main podium so I can hear and see everything. I know I won't understand everything, but I try to be in the best position to understand what is happening. Without fail, every year, someone sits next to me that I can't understand what they say, it is a strikingly beautiful woman, this year was no different.

As usual(for anyone) the first thing she does is ask if the seat next to me is taken and I reply by shaking my head(This is the easy part, she is pointing to the chair). I don't want to appear rude, but to start a conversation is not the best thing to do with 300+ people creating background noise so I continue to eat, nervously knowing what is to come.

(When I have these conversations I'm always reminded of the movie National Treasure starring Nicholas Cage. In it, he tries to explain to another character that he is looking for lost treasure. What gets me about the dialog isn't the subject matter, it's how fast the other party loses interest so in my mind, during these conversations, I paraphrase the lines from the movie)

The woman begins the conversation:

She says, "Hello, my name is xxx" and she extends a hand to shake.
(No problem) I understand the introduction, say my name and shake her hand

She then says something I can't hear about the room, people or work.
I ask her to repeat it.
(In my mind, from the movie, I think of the quote: "This is were we lost the FBI")

She she restates what she said.
I tell her again I couldn't understand it.
(In my mind, "And that's, were we lost the department of homeland security")

She makes one last try..
One more what from me.
She shakes her head, does not make another attempt and decides to talk to the person to the opposite side of her.

At this point, I would love to tell her that I'm a treasure hunter and I need to take a look at her copy of Declaration of Independence because there is a treasure map on the opposite side. Instead, I just tell her I am deaf. She apologizes and the next conversations go a little smoother.

Moral of the story: You have to take the lead when people are talking, you can't let them start. You have to set the scene. Tell them up-front you can't hear and interject and ask what is being talked about when you enter a conversation that is already started. Otherwise, you'll never get the treasure.
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I don't understand why you didn't tell her you were Deaf?
 
NitroHonda said:
I don't understand why you didn't tell her you were Deaf?
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I think he's getting to the fact that he did, he just didn't do it fast enough, so things were awkward at first. He indicated that once he'd told her, their conversation went along much smoother.
 
Cdodd said:
I think he's getting to the fact that he did, he just didn't do it fast enough, so things were awkward at first. He indicated that once he'd told her, their conversation went along much smoother.
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Yeah I see that. It just wasn't clear to me for a bit. Seemed like he was saying that's what he should have done but I see it now.
 
Yes, I should have, but I didn't know she would actually start the conversation with me. Although I should have consulted Murphy's Law, I'm not the fist person everyone talks to. There were other people at the table. I don't usually announce it to everyone I meet. I feel, with my hearing aids, it's kind of obvious.

But, this was the point of the whole post.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
Yes, I should have, but I didn't know she would actually start the conversation with me. Although I should have consulted Murphy's Law, I'm not the fist person everyone talks to. There were other people at the table. I don't usually announce it to everyone I meet. I feel, with my hearing aids, it's kind of obvious.

But, this was the point of the whole post.
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You'd be amazed at how many people do NOT notice our hearing aids. It seems like those of us who wear them are more inclined to notice them.
 
LoveBlue said:
You'd be amazed at how many people do NOT notice our hearing aids. It seems like those of us who wear them are more inclined to notice them.
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If that is true, I have not noticed it. I get more comments on them from hearing people than those who are hearing impaired.
 
Since my HA are broke, I cant hear my son, he looks at my ears and says:
Ears Broke? lol
 
While people may not notice hearing aids when you are wearing them they double darn sure notice them when you pull them out. I have had to do this a lot because of work conditions and especially flying..
I do not that people realize that what they are thinking in their mind seeing this shows on ther face. That look of disgust like the hearing aid has just been pulled from another orifice altogether.
 
goodonya said:
While people may not notice hearing aids when you are wearing them they double darn sure notice them when you pull them out. I have had to do this a lot because of work conditions and especially flying..
I do not that people realize that what they are thinking in their mind seeing this shows on ther face. That look of disgust like the hearing aid has just been pulled from another orifice altogether.
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I guess it's like some people removing their false teeth :)
 
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