Words of Interest

I found this little statement through my online travels & thought i'd share it. Its quite accurate in some areas. I don't know where the statement comes from or who to give credit to. So I apologise for that. But feel free to read it & take out of it what you want. Just may give someone a little insight about what it is like to be deaf & what a deaf person feels like. Maybe you are guilty of acting this way around them? Maybe you will change your habits?

What is it like to be deaf?

People have asked me.

Deaf? How do I explain that?

Simply, I can’t hear.

Noooo, it is much more than that.

It is similar to a goldfish in a bowl.

Always observing things going on.

People talking all the time.

It is like being a man on his own, on an island among foreigners.

Isolation is not a stranger to me.

Relatives say “hi” and “bye”.

But I sit for five hours among them.

Taking great pleasure at amusing babies, reading books, resting, helping out with food.

Natural curiosity perks up upon seeing great laughter, crying, people upset.

Inquire only to meet with “never mind”.

“Oh, it is not important”.

Getting such a summarised statement of a whole story.

Supposed to smile to show the happiness.

Little do they know how truly miserable I am.

People are in control of language usage.

I am at a loss and real uncomfortable.

Always feeling like an outsider among the hearing people, even if it was not their intention.

Always assume that I am part of them.

But it's only my physical presence, not understanding.

The importance of communication.