In fourth grade, I was diagnosed with right ear hearing loss and got my first hearing aid. Hearing loss has been a tough obstacle, but I personally believe that this 'weakness' has come to only make me stronger over the years. In that sense, I struggled in fourth grade with my classmates. I was so embarrassed of my hearing loss and constantly wondered what my peers thought of me and how they would react to me having a hearing aid in my ear. Now, I wear my leopard print hearing aid (yes, leopard print!) proudly every single day and am not as afraid to slip out the "I have hearing loss". Hearing loss has made me the student-athlete and person I am today. I'm thankful for what my obstacle has brought me to to this day and where it will continue to bring me to each and everyday.
"When life places a wall in our path, we have two choices... we can beat our head against it, or we can figure out a way to get around it."
-Randi G. Fine
In my life, I have chosen to get around it. I have stood my ground over the years to get where I am today. Today, I am excelling at a college I have worked immensely hard for and I am a NCAA Division III Field Hockey athlete continuing to prove that people with hearing loss have the power to be an athlete like any other person as well. You can overcome anything, take it from me.
I choose to laugh and find the "fun" in hearing loss rather than dread about the fact I have it, along with its setbacks. Always look at the bright-side of things and remember, "laughter is the best medicine." So, without further-ado...
The Perks of Hearing Loss:
1. If someone is snoring, lay on your good ear and leave the deaf side up.
A peaceful, good night's sleep or a nice midday nap is so hard to achieve when snoring is in the background. Luckily, by being hearing impaired, the simple solution is to lay on our good ear, and poof! "Snore-be-gone!"
2. "Wait... there was a thunderstorm last night?"
Unless you're awake to witness it for yourself, odds are we probably didn't hear the rumbles of thunder last night. You wake up and mom or dad never fail to ask "Did you hear the thunderstorm last night?" The answer is always, "No. What thunderstorm?!" Then you look outside and see the damage for yourself.
3. When the telemarketers call, you have your 'out.'
Just say you're deaf and you'll be the last in line for them to call. No more getting consistently unwanted calls. There's no sense for them in talking to us if we 'can't hear'.
4. You get to pick out your very own hearing aids.
Did I mention mine was leopard print? There are all kinds of different colors, prints, and styles of hearing aids, believe it or not. Getting a new hearing aid is something those without hearing loss don't get to experience.
5. If someone annoying is talking to you, you can walk away and they'll just think you never heard them.
First, it needs to be prior established to that person that they know of your hearing loss. Then, and only then, is it okay to do this. It is almost a talent to be able to casually leave an annoying conversation you don't want to be in. It is much easier to do so when others know you are hearing impaired and probably "couldn't hear them."
6. Specialized in lip reading.
Well... most of the time. For me, I epically fail at this. This fact is probably because my source of practice is watching Bad Lip Readings on YouTube. But for most who have hearing loss, they're skilled with this.
7. You can pull off selective hearing, and no one can prove it.
When mom or dad asks you to come do the dishes (or another unwanted task), just sit preoccupied and not phased. They'll assume you didn't hear them. No one can prove if you are choosing to selectively hear because there's always that chances you actually didn't hear something.
8. Sleeping in is not a problem.
Tired from the week and want to sleep in?... No problem for us. We don't hear everyone awake and moving around in the morning. You don't hear someone doing dishes or vacuuming to get caught up on the house for the weekend. No annoying sounds will wake you, so getting to sleep in is a splendid and uninterrupted time.
9. The volume of the movie at the theater isn't too loud; it's just right.
You have to admit, movie theaters play their movies loud. You feel the rumble of sound vibrations as the movie plays and certain scenes get louder. For us, the louder the better because we will actually be able to hear the movie crisp and clear. Aside from the rumbles of sound, going to the movies is a pretty comfortable experience.
10. You can't hear people obnoxiously chewing gum...
...or any loud food in general. For those with pet peeves of people chewing loudly, I will say it's fairly entertaining watching them cringe to the sound of it. For us, it is not a bother and is either very muffled sounding or completely unheard by us.
So...
...If you're embarrassed or still not as confident as you'd like to be regarding your hearing loss, or whatever setback you may have, that is normal, but hopefully this inspires you to see the positives more over the negatives.
You're who you are for a reason, and I hope you see the opportunity in life for you.
You don't have to let anything in life bottle you up or stray you from what you want to do and hope to be.
Change the way you think, for the better. Don't let anyone stand in your way or take you down.
Everything written above probably sounded cliche, but it is genuinely true. It only will get better, I promise.
"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your 'pain', and play with it."
-Charlie Chaplin
So, laugh a little more, give yourself reason after reason to keep smiling, and find the perks of everything in life.
Enjoy your journey in your life; you have the power to decide how it will go, it's worth it.
