Lounge for Deaf people and their allies

[WingsOnFire]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

Being deaf I often miss things in a conversation,last night some friends at the pool hall were jokeing around about something wich totaly flew over my head with all the noise and such.Lots of times I feel like a dork when this happends cause I wonder what the non deaf people are thinking im stupid or something.
My pool team and I have worked out a way to get my attention when the team captain thinks I need a coaching or word of advise on something I didnt see or notice,but as long as I have played on this team I still dont get into long conversations with anyone mostly because in reality pool is all we have thats in common.The daily drama of theire lives is not anything I care to be a part of.Then there is the left out feeling when I dont blend in well in groups that feel like dealing with a deaf person is a bother,and they do even if they say it dosent.Then there is all the speach therapy I have had to speak as clear as I do,its a lot of work to be clear cause I get tired and fall back into less clear speach or drop words.

I sometimes forget just how frustrating it is for DamonK when he cant hear a conversation that is going on around him. I have gotten much better at giving him eye contact and making sure he is following. I try to pay attention to where he sits when are around other people so that his good ear is to them. Sometimes I screw up terribly... I dont mean to, I just dont know what it is like not to hear. So I take it one day at a time and learn from my mistakes. Thankfully DamonK is very patient with me.

Except the "I may be just processing" face... I have a hard time with this and often think he is upset when he is not. Its hard to tell because sometimes the same face he is giving me while "processing" is one when he is truly frustrated at me. Not that I frustrate him... nahhhhh... lol... sheepishly blush...