Words


Words are very important to me in my life. A kind word of encouragement will always make my day. A harsh word can often make me cry.

My hearing impairment gets me frustrated while I am in a conversation. I will miss a word or two in the sentence. It's like solving a jigsaw puzzle or being a contestant on the "Wheel of Fortune."

At first, I tried to keep my hearing impairment a secret. I wouldn't ask the person to repeat what they had said. When I look back on my actions I realize that was so silly for me to do.

Now, I ask the person whenever I become lost in the conversation. It helps me so I won't feel isolated from what's going on. I don't understand who I thought I was fooling. I thought that once my secret was out, people would treat me different.

Many people told me they didn't understand what was wrong. I came off (to them) as being arrogant or rude. I didn't realize people were perceiving me in this manner. I'm so glad I changed my way.

My disposition has changed (for the better) as well. I look forward to my friends coming over to visit me now. I was allowing those missing words to take over my life.

Strangely enough to people who can hear, the problem isn't as apparent to them as it is to me. One of my neighbors LeAnne told me, she had no clue that I was hearing impaired. She congratulated me on my writing success. When I hand out my business cards to people somehow the words aren't bothering me as I talk with them.

Words are a major factor in my writing. I use them to set the mood of a story. They help introduce my characters to the readers.

As I work on whatever I'm writing, I usually play some music in the background. The words of the songs keep me inspired. One of my favorites to listen to is John Denver. He keeps my spirits soaring with his words.

Words bring people closer, as they are meant to do. We must choose our words carefully, as words can hurt worse than actions, sometmes.

I'm wondering why I never saw I was pushing people away with my actions. Yet, it doesn't matter now.

Words can uplift, and touch people in a gentle and caring way. As you read this article, my hope is my words have made you realize how words touch us all in so many different ways.

The copyright of the article Words in Hearing Impairment is owned by Jill Ann Smith. Permission to republish Words in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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