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Most of the time it's not about "hating deafness" but about "loving to hear"..."Somewhere over the rainbow..."
Sad that some hate deafness so much that they would hang onto any pie in the sky that might make them hearing.
It is one of the more insidious condition to have. My mother in law passed away last month...on my wife's birthday...after a long illness and deteriorating health condition along with her progressively worsening Alzehimer condition.
Been there with my own mother. She would put food in her mouth and forget to swallow it. I am her first born. The last time I saw her, she did not know who I was. When I got to the car, I remember trying to decide if I would ever return to visit. Mom decided for me by dying 2 days later. That was not my Mom in that body that looked so much like her. It was a child that looked 84.
Most of the time it's not about "hating deafness" but about "loving to hear"...
besides.... what "pie in the sky"??
You got me. You will not die from it - definitely. Perhaps I meant that deafness is not a disease but it has got awkward social implications.
I am diabetic (type 1) too, so maybe I was thinking about that too when writing my previous posts. Diabetes type 1 is lethal immediately if not treated and type 2 after a while. I have to spend the whole day thinking about my blood sugar level and ensuring that it is not too high or too low. It requires a lot concentration and 24/7 attention.
I was writing that post when I was completely new here on AD. People often relate difficulty in relative terms and I have never known any deaf or HOH person before (except a relative at a late stage in life). The stories that I have heard here have been a source of knowledge and a source of inspiration to me. I could only relate to my own experience and that implied several years of switching between being unemployed, writing work applications and attending university. That state of uncertainty is not nice to live with, and I find that managing such difficulties to be an 'Olympic' experience. I have a job and I am quite fine. But I am still finding it difficult at times to do 'the right thing' in world where all social rules are made by and for hearing people. And I am still learning from the stories of other deaf and HOH people - stories that I never would hear if the Internet did not exist.
You're seeing it as a pathology. Deafness isn't bad or good. It just is. It's like being gay. Being gay isn't bad or good. It just IS. You're thinking of being without hearing as something that's pathological. Yet we can adapt to and live without it. It doesn't cause pain or anything like that. Sure we don't have the abilty to hear....but we can process things visually. It's just like the way blind/low vision people can't see, but they can process things aurally. See now?
He is a scientist. He is trained to logically categorize things. I wouldn't be surprised if this encourages seeing deafness/hoh as a pathology.
HHScientist, I hope that you'll come to see your d/hh as something that doesn't limit you. By that I mean, yes, one doesn't function in the hearing world "perfectly" with deafness. But at this point, it sounds like you are just opening up to the deaf world and the deaf community. I think once you make connections with other deafies, your whole social world is going to open up. And things will look differently.
That's what I am coming to realize as I engage more and more with the deaf community. It's incredible. I really hope that you avail yourself of opportunities to connect with the Irish deaf community.
Really, the only thing that makes deafness a 'problem' is the fact that we are compelled to function in the hearing world. That's it.
If everyone was deaf, I can't imagine that deafness would be considered a pathology. The truth is, that deafness is not a limiting factor in and of itself. What is limiting is that we are expected to keep playing by hearing rules.
But there are ways around that, too, depending on the situation.
Even though medicine and science may view deafness as a pathology, it isn't in social terms, particularly in the deaf community.
That's my developing view anyway.
My son also have type 1 diabetes. He was Dxed when he was 6 and is 16 now. Sorry for going off topic. It is a daily task for him to keep in check with his BG.
You are right, I am a scientist. I am a little bit like Spock in Star Trek.
I am learning about deafness and hearing as a social identity. I feel a bit confused like this . I hope to gain an attitude like that
For now, I will avoid writing about stuff when I don't understand the question.
Most of the time it's not about "hating deafness" but about "loving to hear"...
........
I can... I have... You didn't pay attention.. or didn't get it...Could you detail the differences?
......
I can... I have... You didn't pay attention.. or didn't get it...
You want me to explain it to you again? No problem...
I can... I have... You didn't pay attention.. or didn't get it...
You want me to explain it to you again? No problem...
I can... I have... You didn't pay attention.. or didn't get it...
You want me to explain it to you again? No problem...
_____________________________________________________
My guess, since I don't know you....
You LOVE your hearing.
You HATE deafness.
Am I close?
My guess, since I don't know you....
You LOVE your hearing.
You HATE deafness.
Am I close?
More like, love your hearing, love your deafness. And sleep wonderfully at night.