You Have to Be Hard of Hearing to Understand
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I am profoundly deaf and dont really fit in anywhere either cuz I am not ASL enough and I cant understand about 80% of conversations in the hearing world. I have been accused of being "fake deaf" cuz I can speak well. Matter of fact, that situation happened today at the mall.
I went to the mall to meet my friend this afternoon so our kids can play in the kids' area. My friend and I were chatting in sign language and a group of middle aged kids kept staring at us (nothing new). My friend waved at them and acted like she knew them..I was like huh? I thought she did know them but realized she was being scarcastic so those kids asked us if we were using sign language. Shows that they are interested so we started chatting with them answering their questions. My friend can speak well..maybe better than me and one kid was like "U are not deaf! " I was like "yea, I am deaf." Kid goes "You can talk well so you are playing a joke on us, right?" I showed them my hearing aid and they were like, "U must be hard of hearing but not deaf." At that point I just laughed and said "If u say so..yea I am hard of hearing." My dB level is 120 and my friend is like at 95 dB level but said we were faking it. Ok, fine whatever u say.
pek1
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A "guy" huh?
I presume a member of the male sex? I would tell "him" that he is a counterfeit guy or male, and, when he protests, tell him to prove he is male.
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What I find is that a lot of people think deaf = no hearing whatsoever. People also think of blind as see nothing but black. I have learned this to not be the case, but for young people, life will teach them this. It is hard to be patient sometimes.
I am profoundly deaf and dont really fit in anywhere either cuz I am not ASL enough and I cant understand about 80% of conversations in the hearing world. I have been accused of being "fake deaf" cuz I can speak well. Matter of fact, that situation happened today at the mall.
I went to the mall to meet my friend this afternoon so our kids can play in the kids' area. My friend and I were chatting in sign language and a group of middle aged kids kept staring at us (nothing new). My friend waved at them and acted like she knew them..I was like huh? I thought she did know them but realized she was being scarcastic so those kids asked us if we were using sign language. Shows that they are interested so we started chatting with them answering their questions. My friend can speak well..maybe better than me and one kid was like "U are not deaf! " I was like "yea, I am deaf." Kid goes "You can talk well so you are playing a joke on us, right?" I showed them my hearing aid and they were like, "U must be hard of hearing but not deaf." At that point I just laughed and said "If u say so..yea I am hard of hearing." My dB level is 120 and my friend is like at 95 dB level but said we were faking it. Ok, fine whatever u say.
Canuckian_Chick
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I definitely agree with this!
I feel like I'm trapped between two worlds.
Actually I wouldn't say you are trapped between two worlds, you have a balance either take the one side if not go on the other side.. I know what you are saying as I'm HOH all my life... I just got to the point in hearing world don't have a clue what HOH really means and also some don't believe I'm HOH but hearing... so I just basically say I'm Deaf so that they can see that Deaf can do anything probably much better than some hearing. Just be thankful you have the best of both worlds.. as like what my mom say since she's deaf since 4 years old from german measles but doesn't have clue about deaf culture.. So I'm pretty lucky whatever my moods strikes which end I want to be in depending on the circumstances or events whatever.. smile keep your chin up as it's not a perfect world.. smile
Canuckian_Chick
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I am profoundly deaf and dont really fit in anywhere either cuz I am not ASL enough and I cant understand about 80% of conversations in the hearing world. I have been accused of being "fake deaf" cuz I can speak well. Matter of fact, that situation happened today at the mall.
I went to the mall to meet my friend this afternoon so our kids can play in the kids' area. My friend and I were chatting in sign language and a group of middle aged kids kept staring at us (nothing new). My friend waved at them and acted like she knew them..I was like huh? I thought she did know them but realized she was being scarcastic so those kids asked us if we were using sign language. Shows that they are interested so we started chatting with them answering their questions. My friend can speak well..maybe better than me and one kid was like "U are not deaf! " I was like "yea, I am deaf." Kid goes "You can talk well so you are playing a joke on us, right?" I showed them my hearing aid and they were like, "U must be hard of hearing but not deaf." At that point I just laughed and said "If u say so..yea I am hard of hearing." My dB level is 120 and my friend is like at 95 dB level but said we were faking it. Ok, fine whatever u say.
Hehehehe I have the same problem as you even sometimes at work or at a bar even lol... I let them find out themselves... as many people don't realizes there's many many different deafness and ability..ONce they knew sometimes they'll take off fast or sometime they will stick around it... I DO believe we always will have to EDUCATE whomever we bump into..
A "guy" huh?
You women say some pretty discriminatory stuff too, a lady in my asl class refered to me as the same that guy did just not in those specific words. I dont think being discriminated against has anything to do with gender, people off all backgrounds have discriminated against the deaf and hard of hearing,
Defmusicman
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I know what you mean. I am h/h also and I always feel like I'm in a "twilight zone" between the two worlds because I am not "deaf enough" to be deaf or "hearing enough" to be hearing. I can hear and speak well enough to work as a Window Clerk at the Post Office but there are still times when I have trouble communicating with customers and I do the best I can. Funny thing is that I was raised in the "deaf culture" in a residential school for the deaf. ASL is my primary language and spoken English is my "second" language.
Just wanted you to know that u are not alone.
AussieGal
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Hmm after reading the post to me im HOH and can be deaf if i want to .. there is no sides i take for granted... you just have to choose what you feel comfortable with and if you dont like it .. try a new way of approaching.
Im very fortunate to have both worlds but i prefer hearing as i tend to talk too much but not enough on my signing *shame on me* but thats how i am.
We all have to accept who we are whether deaf or HOH
If hearing dont like HOH or deaf why worry move on and meet new friends who likes HOH.
Same with deaf dont like HOH then find someone who does.
Chin up guys !
Im very fortunate to have both worlds but i prefer hearing as i tend to talk too much but not enough on my signing *shame on me* but thats how i am.
We all have to accept who we are whether deaf or HOH
If hearing dont like HOH or deaf why worry move on and meet new friends who likes HOH.
Same with deaf dont like HOH then find someone who does.
Chin up guys !