Sign in if you're proud to be Deaf

Mann_K05 said:
Really? Were you in my shoes, do you think so? Wow, I don't know that. :ty: for postive comment. :hug:
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I used to hate myself and blame myself for not being able to hear like my hearing peers could. I thought I didnt work hard enough in speech therapy and then I developed self-destructive behaviors to get the acceptance from the people in my life. I used to kiss hearing people's asses and was afraid to speak up for fear that I would be left even more isolated...the list goes on and on...

I didnt learn ASL until about 10 years ago at the age of 25. when I learned it, I was like "I could have been saved from all that misery if I was shown that being deaf wasnt something to be ashamed of!"

So many of my deaf friends went thru the same thing too being mainstreamed. They were all lost until they found the Deaf community. :hug:
 
shel90 said:
I used to hate myself and blame myself for not being able to hear like my hearing peers could. I thought I didnt work hard enough in speech therapy and then I developed self-destructive behaviors to get the acceptance from the people in my life. I used to kiss hearing people's asses and was afraid to speak up for fear that I would be left even more isolated...the list goes on and on...

I didnt learn ASL until about 10 years ago at the age of 25. when I learned it, I was like "I could have been saved from all that misery if I was shown that being deaf wasnt something to be ashamed of!"

So many of my deaf friends went thru the same thing too being mainstreamed. They were all lost until they found the Deaf community. :hug:
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Ah, yeah.. So true! I'm soo glad that I'm not alone. :D
 
Manny ... you were not alone in this as I, too, suffered the loneliness of being the only deaf at mainstream schools and withdrawing into myself. I'm sure a lot of us were in the same boat as you .... so chin up! :)
 
Ozzie said:
Manny ... you were not alone in this as I, too, suffered the loneliness of being the only deaf at mainstream schools and withdrawing into myself. I'm sure a lot of us were in the same boat as you .... so chin up! :)
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:ty: :ty:
 
shel90 said:
I used to hate myself and blame myself for not being able to hear like my hearing peers could. I thought I didnt work hard enough in speech therapy and then I developed self-destructive behaviors to get the acceptance from the people in my life. I used to kiss hearing people's asses and was afraid to speak up for fear that I would be left even more isolated...the list goes on and on...

I didnt learn ASL until about 10 years ago at the age of 25. when I learned it, I was like "I could have been saved from all that misery if I was shown that being deaf wasnt something to be ashamed of!"

So many of my deaf friends went thru the same thing too being mainstreamed. They were all lost until they found the Deaf community. :hug:
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Shel, I did the some of the things that you mention. It was not till I join AD. That I began to see things. Now after less than a year on this site I`am a better person. I still have a long way to go.But I glad that I am not ashamed of my hearing lost anymore.
 
Mann_K05 said:
I used to be so ashamed, so depressing, to feel so stupid, and to feel so worthless because of my deafness. I also used to be teased and was picked on by some students of public students because of my voice was so bizarre to them and some of them were so mean to me. So, I stopped to use my voice for speech when I was only young a little.
I fear my family when I thought they were just looked down at me because of "deaf and dumb" subject. I actually refused to share or to be open-minded with my family, that reason was I couldn't trust them because I thought they were not always understood me fully. I sometimes felt like they are my "friends" rather than they are actually my family.
I was so stupid as if I felt like it was, very ashamed for who I am, definitely hated myself for that (not just because of deafness but my appearance was inculded too..), and stong low-esteem. I could less care for almost everything I hated for.. I almost never took sports or to social some students, and I never trust anybody else but my best friends.
When I was eleven years old, I moved to different school from the public school and everthing was so worse for me. I was completely aparted out and "lost" my happiness, I got only two friends and was teased brutally by students. Everything went so worser, worser, and especially each pain I gained when it came a tough thing on me. I tried to kill myself at only ten years old a few times before moved to different school, and later, I again tried to kill myself sometimes at age of thirteen to a several months before fifteen years old. Even, my mom tried to support me and to encourage me to accpet my deafness and to be proud but I refused because I was too depressing and hated myself.

However...

When it was a little more than few months before my fifteenth birthday and... I finally realized no one (except my mom) would help me, not for a second at all. So I determinded to force myself fully to manage my life to recover my wounds I used to grew up with this. I researched on deafness for positive and supportive only, evenually I was oftenly visited LiveJournal (until I finally became a member of LJ recurrently), I read some books about deaf things and their lives, and my mom helped me sometimes for encouraging me to be proud for my deafness. (You can visit the Thread, "Why would you not choose to have CI?", and you will see why.) I also visited a few deaf websites and I went to watch ASL drama, amazing Pete Cook, wonderful deaf dramas, and etc etc AT MY EX DEAF SCHOOL. I listened to some students' experience stories, too. I also learned Deaf history when I was only freshman (I think?) and...

Finally, I realized I wasted my time of being down because of my deafness was "sucks", and "ashamed of being deaf" WAS NOT an optional for me. Besides, my wantness for having CI was on a base of wasting my time too.

After my fifteen of age, I slowly and successfully managed to recover my wounds as a normal life I get back BY ALL THE WAY FOR MYSELF (with some help from my mom and a several of my (best) friends). At the same, I was more invovled with my family no matter what or how they treat me.

I thanked my mom for encouraging me to be proud for my deafness. Now, I am so happy that I am Deaf and I don't feel so ashamed of it anymore. Well, I sometimes feel I don't like my life because of my bad memories, yeah, it's hard for me to let them go. Bah, aha. I am still supported my precious family with all of my heart. :) Oh, of course, and my best friends too. :giggle:

SO, I AM IN!!! :D:D:D:D:D

(Please be respect my personal experience story. Thank you.)
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Wow... you re not alone.. i was in too ~ In early teenage!... Now I am happy as same you now!! ;) :grouphug:
 
Mann_K05 said:
I used to be so ashamed, so depressing, to feel so stupid, and to feel so worthless because of my deafness. I also used to be teased and was picked on by some students of public students because of my voice was so bizarre to them and some of them were so mean to me. So, I stopped to use my voice for speech when I was only young a little.
I fear my family when I thought they were just looked down at me because of "deaf and dumb" subject. I actually refused to share or to be open-minded with my family, that reason was I couldn't trust them because I thought they were not always understood me fully. I sometimes felt like they are my "friends" rather than they are actually my family.
I was so stupid as if I felt like it was, very ashamed for who I am, definitely hated myself for that (not just because of deafness but my appearance was inculded too..), and stong low-esteem. I could less care for almost everything I hated for.. I almost never took sports or to social some students, and I never trust anybody else but my best friends.
When I was eleven years old, I moved to different school from the public school and everthing was so worse for me. I was completely aparted out and "lost" my happiness, I got only two friends and was teased brutally by students. Everything went so worser, worser, and especially each pain I gained when it came a tough thing on me. I tried to kill myself at only ten years old a few times before moved to different school, and later, I again tried to kill myself sometimes at age of thirteen to a several months before fifteen years old. Even, my mom tried to support me and to encourage me to accpet my deafness and to be proud but I refused because I was too depressing and hated myself.

However...

When it was a little more than few months before my fifteenth birthday and... I finally realized no one (except my mom) would help me, not for a second at all. So I determinded to force myself fully to manage my life to recover my wounds I used to grew up with this. I researched on deafness for positive and supportive only, evenually I was oftenly visited LiveJournal (until I finally became a member of LJ recurrently), I read some books about deaf things and their lives, and my mom helped me sometimes for encouraging me to be proud for my deafness. (You can visit the Thread, "Why would you not choose to have CI?", and you will see why.) I also visited a few deaf websites and I went to watch ASL drama, amazing Pete Cook, wonderful deaf dramas, and etc etc AT MY EX DEAF SCHOOL. I listened to some students' experience stories, too. I also learned Deaf history when I was only freshman (I think?) and...

Finally, I realized I wasted my time of being down because of my deafness was "sucks", and "ashamed of being deaf" WAS NOT an optional for me. Besides, my wantness for having CI was on a base of wasting my time too.

After my fifteen of age, I slowly and successfully managed to recover my wounds as a normal life I get back BY ALL THE WAY FOR MYSELF (with some help from my mom and a several of my (best) friends). At the same, I was more invovled with my family no matter what or how they treat me.

I thanked my mom for encouraging me to be proud for my deafness. Now, I am so happy that I am Deaf and I don't feel so ashamed of it anymore. Well, I sometimes feel I don't like my life because of my bad memories, yeah, it's hard for me to let them go. Bah, aha. I am still supported my precious family with all of my heart. :) Oh, of course, and my best friends too. :giggle:

SO, I AM IN!!! :D:D:D:D:D

(Please be respect my personal experience story. Thank you.)
Click to expand...

Aww, Manny... Your not only one ya know, I do experience :) :hug:

Anyway, here's mine.

When I was little, I was used to thought there is no hearies that would actually discriminate against the deafies, and I went to the deaf school happily, but till someday my parents decide to move me away from the deaf school to the public school after I done with 3rd grade to keep me going on 4th grade instead of taking the 3rd grade another year.

Moving to the public school is a big difference for me at first time, and there was so few deafies at the public school where I went, almost all of them knew how to speak and wearing the hearing aids, they act so differently than the deafies at the deaf school, they seems often find me annoying because I don't really understand the hearie's culture, they even made fun of me, including the hearies made fun of me, I was not really happy with the public school and I have been begging my parents to send me back to the deaf school, but my parents kept refuse allow me to go back.

I decide to be patient with the public school, being patient with the special education for the deafies, having the interpreter helping with my works, etc.. But till I went to the middle school, I finally fed up with the special education, being lower educated compare to the hearies, being laughed at, so I decide to fight for my education and to prove the hearies that deafies are not dumb! So I made the special education teacher to accept me going to the classes exactly level as hearies, and not allow the interpreter assisting me with my works all the times.

Since I did those stuff, I continue fighting and the more I fought the more hearies look up to the deafies and want to learn the sign language, and more deafies joining to the public schools, and I just kept fighting till high school, ALMOST nobody made fun of me, but some of staffs had tried to put me in the special education due to my deafness, but I kept rebel, and failed once. When I had to go to the special education, I got the A all the times, and the teacher decide to send me to the library to make it as "study hall" instead of special education. Next year which was my last year of high school, I don't go to the special education at all.

I graduated proudly as deaf equally with hearies, with the last project, "Discrimination and Rights of the Deafness", also got a Senior Award as best photography student.

So OF COURSE!!! I am IN! :D
 
I guess I shouldn't be in here being a hearie and all. :ugh3:

But I think that every deaf person must be proud to be deaf.
 
Wow..this thread have been around long time.. I missed this one.. so i want to say.. I AM IN!!!!


:fruit: :)
 
PuyoPiyo said:
Aww, Manny... Your not only one ya know, I do experience :) :hug:

Anyway, here's mine.

When I was little, I was used to thought there is no hearies that would actually discriminate against the deafies, and I went to the deaf school happily, but till someday my parents decide to move me away from the deaf school to the public school after I done with 3rd grade to keep me going on 4th grade instead of taking the 3rd grade another year.

Moving to the public school is a big difference for me at first time, and there was so few deafies at the public school where I went, almost all of them knew how to speak and wearing the hearing aids, they act so differently than the deafies at the deaf school, they seems often find me annoying because I don't really understand the hearie's culture, they even made fun of me, including the hearies made fun of me, I was not really happy with the public school and I have been begging my parents to send me back to the deaf school, but my parents kept refuse allow me to go back.

I decide to be patient with the public school, being patient with the special education for the deafies, having the interpreter helping with my works, etc.. But till I went to the middle school, I finally fed up with the special education, being lower educated compare to the hearies, being laughed at, so I decide to fight for my education and to prove the hearies that deafies are not dumb! So I made the special education teacher to accept me going to the classes exactly level as hearies, and not allow the interpreter assisting me with my works all the times.

Since I did those stuff, I continue fighting and the more I fought the more hearies look up to the deafies and want to learn the sign language, and more deafies joining to the public schools, and I just kept fighting till high school, ALMOST nobody made fun of me, but some of staffs had tried to put me in the special education due to my deafness, but I kept rebel, and failed once. When I had to go to the special education, I got the A all the times, and the teacher decide to send me to the library to make it as "study hall" instead of special education. Next year which was my last year of high school, I don't go to the special education at all.

I graduated proudly as deaf equally with hearies, with the last project, "Discrimination and Rights of the Deafness", also got a Senior Award as best photography student.

So OF COURSE!!! I am IN! :D
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Phillips said:
Wow... you re not alone.. i was in too ~ In early teenage!... Now I am happy as same you now!! ;) :grouphug:
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Puyo -- Wow, quite courage story you got! You are so lucky guy. :D

Phillips -- Aww.. :hug: :D:ty:
 
AquaBlue said:
I guess I shouldn't be in here being a hearie and all. :ugh3:
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Nope, I don't think so. Personally, I don't know why "sign in if you are proud to be Deaf" thread is exist here. Actually, hearing people are more welcome to visit or/and join here as AD member. :) I'd rather to see you stay here, AllDeaf, because you are obviously cool ADer. :D

Some ADers can post it with their experience story and reasons why they explain it.

So, I think a thread should to say "Say I'm In if you are proud to be Deaf" on a title instead of "sign in if you are deaf ... etc etc" thread. :dunno: Just thought.
 
Definitly IN...and "Normal" (for all the hearies that think I'm not.)
 
Sorry, as much as I try to see the benefits of deafness... I have to be honest with myself and say no to this one.

Why? Put simply- if you had to choose between deafness and normal hearing, I think its fairly obvious people would go for the latter. Do not get me wrong though, I am proud of who I am, and I tend to think having and overcoming the experience of being profoundly deaf has made me a stronger person. It certainly has given me insights into the world that other normal people may never gain...

Hence, I think being deaf is a completely different concept to the experiences arising from being deaf. Its like asking quadriplegic people if they are proud of being such. I think many people would argue that Christopher Reeve inspired us all with his tenacity, courage and strength after being wheelchair bound, and those dreadful experiences made him into the person we all admired. However, it is foolish to assume that he was proud of being in a wheelchair, rather he would have being proud of who he became as a result.

Rather the issue here is- are people actually proud of being disabled (that being deafness here, obviously), OR are they proud of the experiences and insights they have gained from being deaf? On the other hand, its definitely possible to be proud of both....
But if given the chance, I would love to hear normally. I am not proud of the stress and burden I have placed on my family for the past 20 years (god knows what money and resources they have wasted on me). Then again, being deaf has given me unique insights into life that others may never understand...

Therein lies the paradox. Strong-willed people, or people with good experiences, for the most part, are probably proud. But in relation to people who have had a bad experience, or a bad upbringing, or lack of access to deaf specialists- its something they definitely could do without....
 
laughing-Carrot said:
Sorry, as much as I try to see the benefits of deafness... I have to be honest with myself and say no to this one.

Why? Put simply- if you had to choose between deafness and normal hearing, I think its fairly obvious people would go for the latter. Do not get me wrong though, I am proud of who I am, and I tend to think having and overcoming the experience of being profoundly deaf has made me a stronger person. It certainly has given me insights into the world that other normal people may never gain...

Hence, I think being deaf is a completely different concept to the experiences arising from being deaf. Its like asking quadriplegic people if they are proud of being such. I think many people would argue that Christopher Reeve inspired us all with his tenacity, courage and strength after being wheelchair bound, and those dreadful experiences made him into the person we all admired. However, it is foolish to assume that he was proud of being in a wheelchair, rather he would have being proud of who he became as a result.

Rather the issue here is- are people actually proud of being disabled (that being deafness here, obviously), OR are they proud of the experiences and insights they have gained from being deaf? On the other hand, its definitely possible to be proud of both....
But if given the chance, I would love to hear normally. I am not proud of the stress and burden I have placed on my family for the past 20 years (god knows what money and resources they have wasted on me). Then again, being deaf has given me unique insights into life that others may never understand...

Therein lies the paradox. Strong-willed people, or people with good experiences, for the most part, are probably proud. But in relation to people who have had a bad experience, or a bad upbringing, or lack of access to deaf specialists- its something they definitely could do without....
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That's your view and I can respect that. I dont see deafness that way. It is not a big deal to me cuz I have the Deaf community and ASL. Being involved in the hearing world full time is no longer a desire of mine.
 
Carlos-Smith.jpg
 
I am hoh/deaf (deaf because i am involved in the community?) and Proud of it, I am not ashamed of not being able to hear...i get to turn of my ha's when i get annoyed with hearing stuff all day, sometimes it's too much listening to ppl blab all day...i like the quiet sometimes! :)
 
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