If you ask me what is like to be Deaf? Imagine when the world is silent All of sudden, your 5th sense notices the small details in the silent world Being Deaf is full of silence. No chirps. No waves crushing. No breeze blowing. No raindrops, No laughs, and sounds that make you vibrant. But. We see birds chirping, blue waves crushing, leaves blown away from the trees, raindrops falling into the ground, laughing mouths, and all details. Full of colorful in our eyes. We are vibrating in our eyes. That is what like to be Deaf. We thrive in our silent world and yet beautiful.
Today (it’s December 23 when I write these lines) I had a great day with Grandma! Grandma is passionate about theater and very often stages her favorite books with the actors from her club. Recently, with her best friend, they wrote a play on “The Witching Hour” the first volume of Anne Rice’s Mayfair witches trilogy which takes place in the same universe as “Interview With a Vampire”.
The story :
This is the meeting between Rowan Mayfair and the one who will become her husband, Michael Curry. Both having supernatural powers, they are approached by a certain Aaron Lightner, member of a sort of secret society, the Tamalasca, bringing together sorcerers and shamans. This is dedicated to the study of the occult. Lightner reveals to them the history of the Mayfair family and the curse that affects it: the Lasher spirit.
Willa, the actress who was to play Rowan is pregnant. In itself, it was not a problem but her doctor prescribed her forced rest. In grandma’s head, she had to be redheaded (I don’t remember what she looks like in the book) anyway, I was offered the role and I was bribed with cookies, how would I get could resist? (She knows me too well! >.<)
I’m not a confirmed actress so I admit that it scares me!
My day with Grandma?
I was having a nice dream when the smell of warm cookies woke me up! I open my eyes and a plate flutters under my nose. As I let my eyes adjust to the light, I jumped, surprised to see my grandmother holding the plate! That’s how I learned the news. Now that I think about it, luckily I was alone! (Note to myself, remember to put a sock on my doorknob the next time I have a “guest” to warn that this is not the time to surprise me like this, it could be rather embarrassing !)
My aunt joined us (she was requisitioned by Grandmother to help with the staging and setting the lights) and we had a good breakfast while Grandmother read me the script. I love seeing how passionate she is when she talks about theatre. Then we went to the club. There, I tried on costumes:
Yes as you can see, everything is a bit too big for me. (If I didn’t hold the dress back, it would end up on my ankles!!!) The costume manager assured us that the alterations won’t be too much of a problem.
Then I was introduced to the troupe. Many already knew me because I happened to help to paint sets from time to time or simply to support Grandma in her projects. However several members seem a little dubious to play with a deaf actress, obviously I have to prove myself. (It’s not going to help my stage fright go down!)
They explained to me the marking on the stage to know how to spot my marks and when to place myself there, then we played one of the scenes to have a practical example. I was stressed at first but I admit that it amused me even if it was complicated to know who was speaking and when. Certain character talking behind my back. Fortunately my aunt and grandmother were there and they understand the difficulties it represents for me. I will have to time each of these lines in the future to know when to cast mine.
Small good point for the person who did the casting (thank you Grandma): Our Michael Curry, Rowan’s future husband is… how to say… let’s say that the kissing scene will be far from torture!
After that we all ate together in a pizzeria. A way to create and maintain a bond in her troupe for Grandma. I learned a lot about each of them. Our Lightner, for example, was a soldier, he was discharged following an injury, he suffered from depression and became homeless. He climbed the slope following a makeover show, he found a job at the ticket office of a theater and that’s what made him want to be an actor and that’s why he joined the club. A very nice man who was quite paternalistic with me by giving me lots of little advice. I think I already love him! haha
For the afternoon, everyone has gone about their business after all it is the day before Christmas there are still preparations for many people. Grandmother invited me and my dear aunt to be pampered in a massage parlour. I got massaged by a lookalike of Henri Cavill in Man of Steel, I was a little sad when it stopped! “Come baaaaaaack! »
We ended the day in front of the fireplace discussing my character, the play and sketching some ideas for sets.
Yes I know, I have the best Grandma in the world!
Guys! take care of yourself and your loved ones, see you soon and have a happy holidays!
PS: Willa hvile godt og nyd din graviditet! Jeg ønsker dig alt det bedste med dit kommende barn.
PPS: Mormor du er den bedste og selvom du er helt skør, vil jeg følge dig i alt hvad du gør!
If I write this article, it is to warn you that there may be a little disruption in my next posts. Indeed there was a fire at my house last night and I find myself in the hospital.
Don’t worry too much about me, I’m fine but not having been able to hear the fire alarm. I had smoke detectors which flash light in addition to the alarm but being asleep, I was not warned and I inhaled a little too much smoke before being able to evacuate so I was kept under observation for 24 hours.
My house was not completely destroyed by the flames but it will not be habitable for a while.
In short, more fear than harm. I just lost memories and some stuff but it’s just material. I’m going to live with my Grandmother until things get better.
I’ll post when there’s something new.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones and see you soon!
Nyx disappeared from the frame right when I took the picture! >.<
Ok, that was 1 hours ago. I took Nyx out and took him to the dog park. There, a woman, her companion and their dog were about to enter. Of course Nyx was very happy to meet a new friend.
She was like wagging her tail and waiting for that dog to be unleashed, when that woman tried to release her dog. Nyx must had interrupted them, apparently this woman got angry at Nyx for no reason.
She tried to hit my dog and maybe his dog was growling at Nyx. I don’t really know since I can’t hear so I came in, to call Nyx over. Well, unfortunately, that woman threw coffee at me, BUT lucky I stood a bit further from her and didn’t get « coffee splashed » on me.
She seemed so angry and yelling at me for no reason then left, her partner was like ho no and tried to calm her down. She just simply left and I had no clue what was going on. Honestly, I never thought that someone would throw coffee at me… 🤣🥲
Yep, it happened just like that and then people came over to see if I was okay. I was like I’m all good peachy and utterly clueless about what had just happened recently. So bizzard lol
Nix didn’t do anything to that dog and all she wanted was to smell that dog’s ass & play with. What a day !
It was definitely not her day today at all but dude don’t throw hot coffee to someone else!
I hope everything goes well for you. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and see you soon.
Accepting that: I make noise, the doors slam when you get up, the vacuum cleaner at 2 a.m., footsteps all day, the barking dog, startle everyone present when I turn on my computer because I did not see that the volume was turned up fully, accept to wear earplugs and that the walls shake when I listen to music and suddenly the death threats of neighbors in mailboxes …
Accepting that I jump all day long: In the morning at breakfast when someone tries to give me a kiss or a hug from behind, when I thought he was out and when I turn around I see him in the room, when someone touches me while I’m concentrating on a TV series.
Living with me means: accepting to repeat what I’m told when I’m tired, accepting that I isolate myself for a little while when we’ve been surrounded by people for a while in the evening, accepting not to speak when I’m drive, accepting to take off his mask to talk to me …
Photo of me when I’m hungry!
It is also accepting that: I am grumpy when I am hungry, in winter I sleep with socks on, I am not really but then really not patient when I expect something and I spray the responsible person with questions. out of my frustration, I turn around in the street to try to pet all the little cats and dogs that might cross my path and my daily craziness.
But that’s not because I’m deaf, but just because I’m hungry, cautious, boring, , have a problem with anything that purrs and licks my fingers and finally, I’m totally nuts!
Yes, I know … Living with me is complicated, but I cook well!
In general, people have heard of guide dogs for the blind, but did you know that there are guide dogs for the deaf?
❤
Nyx is one of them, she helps me in everyday life, she is my ears. But how can she help me? Well here are some small examples:
She can warn me when someone knocks on the door and can’t find the doorbell >.< (I have a lighted doorbell that I normally use when people are not afraid to use it, like parcel deliverers !!!!)
She helps me a lot in the kitchen, because she alerts me when the oven stops or when my timer is over.
She warns me by telling me when a vehicle is behind me, and thus prevents me from ending up in a pancake!
To wake up, I have my phone on vibrate, but it may happen that I do not feel it if I have had a somewhat restless night, and well Nyx serves as an alarm clock. (Well, it is a bit too wet for my taste!)
She alerts me when someone calls me on the street.
Having daily help was a sine qua non condition for my dad to let me study in a foreign country like France last year, so we started looking for this type of help but unfortunately the farms are still very rare. And dogs are very expensive, because their learning is complex. Their training costs between 10,000 and 12,000 euros per dog. Each dog is first welcomed by a host family. For sixteen months. Then, they joined a center where, for six months, they were trained in recognizing sounds and the behavior to adopt for each of them …
Isn’t she pretty?
To get Nyx, I sold my car and worked very hard. Fortunately for me, with my type of deafness, where the implant does not work, I had state aid, and a privileged place on the waiting list. Yes, the other problem is that since there are few dogs, it takes on average 3 years to get one.
To be able to acquire one of those hairballs, beyond selling a kidney and having a foolproof patience, there are a few conditions to respect:
Have a document proving your “handicap”;
To be of age ;
And of course be able to provide all the care your pet needs.
I hope that one day these animals will be much more accessible for deaf people.
In the meantime, if you are a parent of a deaf child and you cannot afford it, I still advise you to get a dog, a cat, a ferret, a rabbit… or any animal. Being deaf tends to lock us in a lot, contact with animals helps us a lot to open up to others.
This is just a little personal reflection, on a question that I am often asked at the association: “How does it happen in a romantic relationship between a deaf and a hearing person?”
I speak here only from my point of view and my own feelings. I do not pretend to have absolute knowledge, on the contrary, I ask myself a lot of questions on this subject. If you have your own opinion, I would be happy to discuss it with you in the comments.
Many of you must be thinking, “But what does being deaf have to do with having a girl or a boyfriend? “ And although being deaf or hard of hearing (it is surely a bit the same for other handicaps), we always wonder if it will have an impact on our love life.
In a relationship between deaf people, it is “easy”. We have the same concerns so we understand each other. It is less embarrassing to repeat a sentence that you will have misunderstood, whether orally or in sign language. With a hearing person, it’s very different. We are afraid of annoying the person who interests us by dint of having them repeat and doing so that they are disinterested in us. Sometimes just announcing that you are deaf (or hard of hearing) is enough to scare some people away.
Between a deaf person and a hearing person, there is always a gap, because we do not live in the same world. It is not a bad thing or anyone’s fault but it is so then it requires efforts of both parties to try to understand each other.
In the book “Finding Zoe” by Brandy Rarus, the deaf author describes her relationship with a hearing man. It was idyllic at first, but the more she got involved in the deaf culture, the more her boyfriend seemed to move away, which ended their relationship.
No matter how much a person can be involved in deaf culture, whether they have studied the subject or have deaf family … A hearing person will never be what it is to be deaf and what it brings. In the past I’ve already loved, many times and each time I’m apprehensive of how the other will take the fact that I’m deaf.
How I am when I’m dating!
I’ve always had a close core of friends but I’m a very reserved person so I’ve done a lot of online dating, be it Okcupid or even Tinder! (yes I was desperate!). But I never knew how to explain the fact that deafness was a part of me. I didn’t want people to reject me because of this. (It’s already happened).
Making contact :
After a few days, the time for the first Skype comes. It always makes me nervous. Indeed, I often have to ask them to type what they have to say and I think it must be a disadvantage to have to do it, it can annoy.
The encounter :
Me afraid to go to a first date! (I know I’m a good actress!)
Then we get used to it but at some point comes the time for the first meeting. As for everyone I suppose, there is the apprehension of “the-meeting-of-the-first-time”, but to that is added also the fear of “how-the-devil-is-that- communication-will-work ”! Fortunately for me, I read very well on the lips but according to the diction of each one, I need a time of adaptation, and to that is added that I am 100% deaf and not implantable, so I cannot help myself with the sound I would have heard to understand part of the conversation if he does not speak sign language.
The family presentation :
Finally if all his moments are going well, there is the presentation to the family. Personally I always apprehend, because that is when she realizes that you are deaf and that this is not harmless in everyday life, suddenly they do not know how to react and it can be very embarrassing. With my first boyfriend’s family, it went very badly. I felt like the attraction of the evening, in the wrong sense of the word. I felt like the highlight of a freak-show! I was harassed with questions about my deafness and none about our couple …
Besides that in these kind of meetings, people often talk at the same time, which is very complicated for us to follow the conversations all the more since often several discussions get entangled at the same time which we totally lose … we ended up following our boyfriend like a disarmed puppy, and we feel very stupid…
Conclusion :
Be careful I don’t want to discourage deaf-hearing relationships, on the contrary my only two important stories were with a hearing person and they were wonderful. It exists and it works, but it requires investment on the part of the hearing partner, taking a minimum interest in deaf culture and sign language because it is a part of us. On our side we must also make an effort to welcome them into our little world of ours by being compassionate and patient when they are awkward or when they find it difficult to understand us. As in all couples, there are two of us. Efforts must therefore be made by both parties!
We went to my deaf club to join a group of teenagers whose parents work. Yes, we played nannies, but in exchange, there was pizza! Two of them, Tadeus and Morganne, are newly implanted so the discussion turned to their new ability to hear. And I must say that we had a lot of fun.
Morganne first told us about the sun, she was convinced that it must make noise, a bit like the hum of an engine, but in fact not. Then she told us about her astonishment, when for the first time she heard the sound of her fingers rubbing paper, a gesture that she thought inaudible before. Finally she told us about cats, which annoy her because sometimes they make noise, and sometimes they act without making it.
Little Isabelle, deaf from birth, asked if the ice melting in the sun made noise. Everyone turned to Pia, the only hearing in our group who was very sorry to disappoint her by telling her that no.
Then I noticed Tadeus staring at my chest. I started to feel embarrassed, then without looking away he spoke.
what sound can that make?
“Do you know what surprised me the most? It’s that the boobs do not make noise, it really looks like! “
At that moment, Pia’s nose who was drinking his coke was transformed into a fountain and the whole assembly laughed out loud. Once Pia’s nose drained, she could tell us that she found this conversation fascinating, because she questions what was only “obvious” to her.
This article does not do justice to our laughter but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
For 3 months, with all these masks in the street, I have the impression of living in an episode of Naruto. Yes, you should be happy if you are a manga fan, but personally I find it oppressive! Ok it’s hard for everyone to live, I understand that it’s complicated for everyone, but imagine that when you leave your house, you no longer hear any sound, a deafening silence?
When I leave my house, I can no longer communicate with anyone. Everyone is masked, so I can no longer read the lips of my interlocutors. And I can no longer speak sign language. Indeed, many signs are based on facial expressions. It’s a bit like if you had to start talking overnight without using vowels. Fortunately for me, I am lucky to be with my family at home, but I have a thought for all deaf people who must or must have been confined alone at home.
To receive the information, I am happy to see that the newspapers have started to offer interpreters more often. However, they are often very small in the corner of the picture and it is not always very easy to understand them even when you have good eyesight. To this must be added that many deaf people suffer from Usher syndrome which, in addition to giving profound deafness, causes a progressive loss of visual acquittal going as far as blindness.
I can only imagine that, I have my family to keep me up to date but to know that a crisis of such magnitude is going on and not being able to get information properly, all this added to the feeling of ‘isolation…
Some of us are going through a very difficult time so if you have a neighbor, a friend or even only a deaf acquaintance, while respecting a safe distance of course, try to communicate with him without your mask to see how he feels right now and if he manages to get well informed. In any case, he will be infinitely grateful.
Either way, whether you are deaf, hard of hearing or hearing, take care of yourself and your loved ones! As for me I say see you soon! 😉
Today, I got up with a sore throat so I went to the doctor. My usual generalist being on vacation, I was received for a substitute doctor.
When he picked me up in the waiting room, I realized it was going to be complicated. I found myself in front of a Zztop! Ok I’m exaggerating but he was wearing a very long beard, and god know that I hate big beards! Okay, if they are well maintained, I find it rather sexy but, too long beards are the worst enemy of deaf people. Indeed, they hide too much facial features and prevents us from reading on the lips. Of course he did not speak sign language, it would have been too practical. To communicate, he did everything in writing, and doctors were not famous for their calligraphy, and he did not break the rule, it was a work of Sisyphus to understand him.
He examined my throat and gave me a prescription. I hoped to be able to leave quickly, but that nay, here he asks me about my deafness and then brings out all his talk about implants, associations …, as if I was newly deaf or I’m not was never asking the question. I do not know if, for the deaf people who follow me, it has happened to you already, but personally I have the impression that every time I meet a new doctor, I’m entitled to it every time! ^^ ‘
Nilsa's world 