| You may try to imagine what it would be like to be | | | | really feel as the deaf or hard of hearing do. |
| deaf and generally you pass it off as "Oh well when I | | | | Can you imagine what it would be like to |
| get old I will probably go deaf.And you think that will | | | | - Not hear music! |
| be years away! | | | | - Not hear the birds! |
| Worse still ,when you try to imagine if you went | | | | - Not hear your children's voices! |
| blind.That doesn't bear thinking about.You can imagine | | | | - Not hear the TV! |
| trying to get about with a walking stick and never to | | | | - Not hear general conversation! |
| be able to see any thing or anyone again.You just | | | | - Not hear laughter! |
| know you could not possibly cope | | | | - Not to hear natures voice! |
| Going blind… | | | | Just imagine it for a moment. |
| You heart pours out to the blind but people in general | | | | So when people do start to lose their hearing they |
| don't have anywhere near the same depth of | | | | suffer great anxiety,frustration,fear,hurt and loss of |
| understanding or compassion for the hard of hearing | | | | confidence. |
| or deaf. | | | | Years ago I considered I had acute hearing.My |
| They are often treated as second class citizens or as | | | | hearing was so good I could hear people speaking |
| a nuisance because they don't know what you are | | | | from quite a distance away and yet today I can |
| saying. | | | | hardly hear at all.I could a huge shock when I started |
| When a blind person tries to cross a road or bang | | | | to lose my hearing at 32. |
| into something,people will rush to their aid but if | | | | It just couldn't be happening to me. But it was. |
| someone doesn't hear what you are saying,what | | | | There was no operation to fix it,no pills.No magic |
| do YOU do. | | | | cure. |
| - Do you shout at them to try to get them to hear? | | | | The transition was horrible with many tears.I was |
| - Do you turn your back and raise your eyebrows? | | | | truly amazed how ignorant people really are even |
| - Do you pull a face behind their back? | | | | those who think they are the most compassionate |
| - Do you say"Oh it doesn't matter"? | | | | of souls. |
| - Do you dread having to be in their company | | | | I have just written a short eBook on my struggles in |
| because they won't hear what you say? | | | | coming to terms with going deaf and how people in |
| - How do you react? | | | | general treat someone who is losing or lost their |
| How understanding are you really? | | | | hearing. |
| People can easy try to imagine what going blind | | | | Just how understanding do you have?. |
| would be and it is awful but people do not try to | | | | You may get a nasty wake up call. |