"You can exist without hearing, but to have a life, you need to hear."

Still, MacLennan -- who lost his Hugo home to last month's tornado and his wife to a heart attack early this month -- said he was just glad to be able to hear things he never could before.
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Actually this line stuck me as awful.HA replaces wife and home??
 
wow and to think smaller aids would keep the kids from getting picked on really? And yes I agree very poorly written
 
Huh. That's my local newspaper. When I saw the reference above to the tornado, I knew the article had to be a couple years old (2008) because the Hugo tornado was devastating. Anyways, yeah, it is not a well-written article. It echoes some of what we read right here on this forum. :(
 
As a hearing ASL student, and fairly new to Deaf culture, I'm an outsider here. But I have a few observations about the article, if I may..

"Even with the device, MacLennan will remain unable to hear certain pitches."
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HA's aren't a miracle device, and it seems as though some "professionals" mislead some Deaf people into thinking that they are. Especially younger ones, who at their age, just want to "fit in." The awful truth is that kids will find something about you to make fun of; your HA, your glasses, your religion, your weight, your sexual orientation, your color, your name. It never ends, and bullies are inventive.

Also, although I know this is very different from being Deaf, I meditate, and I find there is something very peaceful, very spiritual, about "silence."

Lastly, I'll repeat, I'm fairly new to the Deaf community, but most of the Deaf people I've met seem to be living full, rich lives.

Correct me if I'm wrong. I came to this Forum to learn. :)
 
PatsCats said:
As a hearing ASL student, and fairly new to Deaf culture, I'm an outsider here. But I have a few observations about the article, if I may..


HA's aren't a miracle device, and it seems as though some "professionals" mislead some Deaf people into thinking that they are. Especially younger ones, who at their age, just want to "fit in." The awful truth is that kids will find something about you to make fun of; your HA, your glasses, your religion, your weight, your sexual orientation, your color, your name. It never ends, and bullies are inventive.

Also, although I know this is very different from being Deaf, I meditate, and I find there is something very peaceful, very spiritual, about "silence."

Lastly, I'll repeat, I'm fairly new to the Deaf community, but most of the Deaf people I've met seem to be living full, rich lives.

Correct me if I'm wrong. I came to this Forum to learn. :)
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:gpost:

The only thing I would add is that PARENTS are the ones that helps foster a kids' self esteem. If the parent isn't promoting a strong sense of self in that child, a device sure as Hell won't do it for them!
 
Starkey and the newspaper will be getting lengthy e-mails from yours truly. I really don't care that the article is 2008; I'm certain their attititude has not changed in the least.:roll:
 
jillio said:
Starkey and the newspaper will be getting lengthy e-mails from yours truly. I really don't care that the article is 2008; I'm certain their attititude has not changed in the least.:roll:
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But a small hearing aid might make you feel better about it. :P
:wave:
 
Oceanbreeze said:
:gpost:

The only thing I would add is that PARENTS are the ones that helps foster a kids' self esteem. If the parent isn't promoting a strong sense of self in that child, a device sure as Hell won't do it for them!
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Amen to that!!
 
@ Jillio and Botti



:eek3: :giggle: :laugh2:
I am too old to laugh that hard.
 
Starkey is a company who is hawking hearing aids. Yes, they will say anything to get more profits. That is just a fact of life in coporate business. I don't like it abit eventhough I am wearing Starkey hearing aids.
 
Starkey is one of the worst. They are completely invested in perpetuating this idea of hearing loss and deafness as a terrible affliction, and the "ability to hear again" as some miracle in order to generate sympathy for their company. Truly sickening.
 
Buffalo said:
Starkey is a company who is hawking hearing aids. Yes, they will say anything to get more profits. That is just a fact of life in coporate business. I don't like it abit eventhough I am wearing Starkey hearing aids.
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I wear starkey as well and they will do anything to get you to buy the next best thing for sure... my audi does it on the daily =/
 
PatsCats said:
Also, although I know this is very different from being Deaf, I meditate, and I find there is something very peaceful, very spiritual, about "silence."
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Well, you did ask to be corrected, so this is my personal opinion: Be careful about romanticizing deafness. As you point out, the "silence" we experience is a lot different from meditation. Because of that, I'm not really sure the comparison needs to be drawn up between meditation and deafness. It almost implies that our lives are "quiet and peaceful" when that is hardly the case. Just look around AD! lol.

Also, bear in mind that you, as a hearing person, can compare silence to noise. From that contrast you are able to make a judgment that silence is peaceful and spiritual while noise is chaotic and disturbing. But for those of us who do not know what it even feels like to live in a world inundated by noise noise noise, we have a completely different idea of what silence means.

I know your intention was good, but a comment like that almost strikes me as patronizing. Not quite, but almost. Again, that's just my opinion. Others might feel differently.


Lastly, I'll repeat, I'm fairly new to the Deaf community, but most of the Deaf people I've met seem to be living full, rich lives.
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Absolutely 100%. You're touching on what is at the very heart of audism: the idea that you must have hearing in order to be complete and happy, and that hearing is somehow inherently better than not hearing.
 
That article was kind of patronizing. While I wear and appreciate a HA, I have a life when it's NOT on, and I will continue to have a life even when I am (potentially) profoundly deaf (at least on one side). In fact, I consider it a blessing if I live long enough for that to occur (I have a progressive condition).
 
PatsCats said:
Also, although I know this is very different from being Deaf, I meditate, and I find there is something very peaceful, very spiritual, about "silence."
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A few hours of silence is good after the volume of 'life' has been on full blast all day long.

When that silence is permanent, the struggle to be treated equal or fairly in the hearing environment does not end.
 
Write Alex, that was an awesome post. Thank you.
 
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