Recognizing The Benefits of Deafness

The benefits of being Deaf:

1. We have the innate ability to block out annoying sounds (ha!)
2. We can stand clear across the room from each other and still be able to
communicate quietly without bothering others.
3. One can stand inside on the 3rd floor of a building with windows closed
and still be able to communicate with another down in the parking lot. So
cool, huh?
4. We can talk about anybody or anything we want (for instance, bowel
movements) in a public place and not worry about being "overheard." BUT -
be careful, you just never know who may know how to sign.
5. When you're having an argument with someone, you can "scream" as
loud as you want with your signs and still be silent!
6. My favorite: When you're arguing or being annoyed by someone, just
avert your eyes or close them - instant solution to making the person go away
(unless they constantly tap you or follow you around - which I will do
if you ignore me)!

All joking aside, Deafness can be considered a hardship. Depending on your family, the amount of your hearing loss, your first language, and millions of other factors, some of you may experience more hardships than others. We face many things: discrimination, lack of communication with parents/people, slower language development, and so on. But ultimately, if deaf people are supplied with the proper tools and match them up with motivation and desire to improve themselves, every deaf person can be successful in one way or another.

Last night, I was up all night talking to J about lots of random things. We saw Star Trek a few days ago, so we talked a bit about that. The movie was awesome! I know very little about the characters and stuff, but found the movie very interesting and captivating. Anyway, off the topic here... We eventually started talking about the frustrations of being Deaf. The number one problem we probably face as a Deaf person is communicating with other people. Something as simple as giving directions or asking someone to hand you a wrench could be problematic. I grew up with enough hearing to talk on the telephone, listen to music and carry on as an almost-hearing person. I also developed the ability to speak well (most of the time), so I could not totally 100% relate to the profoundly Deaf. However, since losing all my hearing 14 years ago, I've had to learn to deal with a new problem - not being able to hear anything at all.

I was at the movies the other day. Something as simple as purchasing a movie ticket could become a really embarrassing task. I've maintained my ability to speak, so stating the movie title is not a problem. However, when I told the lady that I wanted a ticket to Star Trek, she said "12:40." I understood her and the numbers she was saying, but somehow, I had thought it was the dollar amount she was charging me. I kept telling her, no - $7.50. She repeated "12:40" several times then finally tapping at her watch. Finally, it dawned on me. She was asking me which time I wanted a ticket for. Duh. (But in my defense, the next movie wasn't until like 1:30, and when we were purchasing tickets, it was 12:15 or so. It would make sense that we'd want to see the 12:40 show instead of the 1:30.)

Even though we face a lot of hardships, there are plenty of good things we can bring to the world. Here's a word of encouragement. Even though you may face hardships such as communicating with others and not being able to express yourself the way you may want to, there are many fine qualities that you can bring to people. Think about it, as a Deaf person, you have been given a tool, a tool called experience. Through your personal experience, frustrations and your opinions, you have the power to influence people to think differently about the Deaf and our culture. You have the power to make an impact in people's lives: both hearing and deaf.

I don't see myself as one that is fully embedded in the Deaf culture but I do appreciate it. As Deaf people, we can educate others about the workings of the Deaf culture. You can inspire others to become an excellent interpreter (and we know we could use more of those). Or, if they do not become interpreters, they may become an advocate for the Deaf community and play an active role in supporting Deaf rights. Before you "Deaf Power" people start criticizing me, I do believe that the Deaf community should be led by the Deaf, but it never hurts to have hearing people to take an active interest in our culture. After all, there are lots of more of them than there are of us.

Finally, maybe we were born deaf (or lost our hearing) for a reason. Maybe we were put here to help other less-fortunate Deaf people. This is my number one reason for becoming a Teacher of the Deaf. I want to use my experience and my connection to the Deaf community to help young Deaf children grow to become successful. The best kind of role model for young deaf children is a Deaf adult who has the knowledge and motivation to push the children beyond their limits and help them recognize that anything is possible.

If you want to think out of the box, think about the Deaf people that reside in third world countries. Who better to help them than Deaf people who have compassion for their own kind? Someday, I'd like to travel someplace and spend several weeks helping the less-fortunate people in any way I can. It'd be good for anybody - to see and understand the reality of what these people go through... not only facing deafness (which earns them almost no rights in their country), but hunger and diseases. I guarantee you (and myself) that we'll appreciate the American life far greater than we do now.

So, next time you think about the things you can't do, start thinking about the things you CAN.