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Fitting Into the Hearing World

© Jill Ann Smith

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I find I'm no different because of my hearing impairment. After waiting for over a month for our computer to be connected to DSL, last Friday an employee of the company came out to remedy the situation. He worked diligently for several hours without any success.

Since that week-end was the first of our PartyLite Candle Parties, Peggy and I were preparing for the arrival of our guests. I noticed the gentleman wore a hearing aid in his right ear. Before he left the man gave Peggy an 800 phone number to call for futher service.

The PartyLite Party went on as scheduled Saturday. I didn't really think anymore about the computer, and that we still weren't connected at all. To my surprise on Monday, in the late afternoon the technician returned, only this time he had an assistant with him. Would you believe that this kind man told Peggy that he had been working on the problem with our DSL connection (or lack thereof) all week-end?

So when they returned on Monday, he was able to successfully connect the computer with the DSL within less than an hour. I was truly impressed with his concern. Although I can't recall his name, I would commend him just the same for the extra effort he made to help us with our DSL problem.

On Sunday, I saw a very heartwarming story on Dateline about a deaf family in conflict over two children desiring a cochlear implant operation. The family explained their various views, pro and con. One father was dead set against his child having the surgery done. He moved the family and enrolled his child in a school for the deaf.

On the contrary, his sister decided to allow her child to receive the surgery. She believed the end result to improve her child's hearing was extremly important. The grandmother of the two children agreed with her daughter. They both felt the surgery would offer the child a better chance in the hearing world.

The brother argued the implant would take his child away from the deaf culture. For generations the entire family had dealt with their deafness. He saw the change as a threat, not as a benefit for his child. His child signed, it was his decision, and not hers!

I believe they each had valid points. Yet since I don't consider myself as a part of the deaf culture (being hearing impaired, not deaf) I couldn't have chosen one over the other. I spent 30 years in the hearing world. Now I'm trying to fit in the same world. Sometimes, it can be very frustating, however, I keep on trying, just the same.

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