When you're unilaterally Deaf, sometimes you can get some really odd thoughts about your Deaf ear. In my case, sometimes I look at my Deaf ear and think, "Why do we even HAVE that ear?" It's kinda like a disco ball in a car. It looks nice, but really, it serves no legitimate purpose other than something to hang stuff from, or to keep my sunglasses from falling off my face.
Maybe I could use it for party gags. See who can shout loud enough to make me flinch. Winner gets coffee. I'd win. every. single. time.
But in all seriousness, though, there are difficulties to being Hard of Hearing or Deaf. You see, you can't tell when someone's Deaf or Hard of Hearing just by looking at them. We don't have signs that say we can't hear, and there's no outward physical difference between us and other people. This can make it difficult at times because sometimes people don't believe you that you're Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This can lead to some stressful situations, because people think you're lying to get attention, or to pull a prank. Sometimes people say things like, "Well, you don't look Deaf," or "You don't look Hard of Hearing." Well, no, we don't...we're still human and that doesn't change with whether or not we hear.
This is especially true for post-lingual Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Post lingual means that you became Deaf or Hard of Hearing after you had learned how to speak. You see, not all Deaf or Hard of Hearing were born Deaf or Hard of Hearing, but instead, become so later in life. The clearer your speech, the less likely you are to be believed about your being Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
I grew up with kids constantly asking me, "Are you really Deaf in one ear? Can you really not hear out of it?" And, oh, I so badly wanted to say, "No, I lied. I just wanted you to keep pestering me about whether or not I was Deaf in that ear." Even as an adult, when I tell people that I'm Deaf in one ear, I get people who doubt me. That's actually part of the reason why I got hearing aids (the other part being that they are, actually, quite useful for conversations, if you hadn't guessed that). If you take a hearing aid out of your ear and show it to them, most people will be convinced that you're not lying. It can get old, and for the person who really isn't lying, it can be very stressful.
So if you come across someone who says they're Deaf or Hard of Hearing, please do them the courtesy of believing them. Most people who say they can't hear you aren't lying and your believing them will be a wonderful blessing.
Maybe I could use it for party gags. See who can shout loud enough to make me flinch. Winner gets coffee. I'd win. every. single. time.
But in all seriousness, though, there are difficulties to being Hard of Hearing or Deaf. You see, you can't tell when someone's Deaf or Hard of Hearing just by looking at them. We don't have signs that say we can't hear, and there's no outward physical difference between us and other people. This can make it difficult at times because sometimes people don't believe you that you're Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This can lead to some stressful situations, because people think you're lying to get attention, or to pull a prank. Sometimes people say things like, "Well, you don't look Deaf," or "You don't look Hard of Hearing." Well, no, we don't...we're still human and that doesn't change with whether or not we hear.
This is especially true for post-lingual Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Post lingual means that you became Deaf or Hard of Hearing after you had learned how to speak. You see, not all Deaf or Hard of Hearing were born Deaf or Hard of Hearing, but instead, become so later in life. The clearer your speech, the less likely you are to be believed about your being Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
I grew up with kids constantly asking me, "Are you really Deaf in one ear? Can you really not hear out of it?" And, oh, I so badly wanted to say, "No, I lied. I just wanted you to keep pestering me about whether or not I was Deaf in that ear." Even as an adult, when I tell people that I'm Deaf in one ear, I get people who doubt me. That's actually part of the reason why I got hearing aids (the other part being that they are, actually, quite useful for conversations, if you hadn't guessed that). If you take a hearing aid out of your ear and show it to them, most people will be convinced that you're not lying. It can get old, and for the person who really isn't lying, it can be very stressful.
So if you come across someone who says they're Deaf or Hard of Hearing, please do them the courtesy of believing them. Most people who say they can't hear you aren't lying and your believing them will be a wonderful blessing.
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