Deaf Stories

When I was young, I did something that made my two older sisters go "ooooo, we're going to tell moooooom!!" and it resulted in me running out to the front room where my mom was and jumping on her lap, covering her eyes, and saying "don't listen to them, mommy!". My sisters got to the front room and about died from laughing so hard. [I listen by reading lips....with my eyes]

Two semesters ago, I was sitting in class and I asked the guy next to me what the teacher said. He kind of mumbled and so I asked him to speak louder. Again, he mumbled. So I told him "sorry, I'm deaf, can you speak up?" He rolled his eyes and said, "yeah, and I'm eating a pretzel" [he wasn't eating a pretzel]. I realized he thought I was joking. I moved my hair back behind my ear and showed him my hearing aids. He quickly apologized and answered my original question.

My mother in law was getting out some chicken wings to eat and she was telling Karmen (my neice) if she wanted hairy chicken wings. I thought to myself, it sounds like Brook is saying hairy chicken wings. . . that can't be right. Brook again asked Karmen "you want some hairy chicken wings, Karmen?" I finally spoke up and told her "It sounds to me like you're saying hairy chicken wings". Brook laughed and said that was what she was saying. Surprise! [When Derrik was little, they had some of these chicken wings and there was a feather left in one wing, Derrik said "ew, these chicken wings are hairy!". So, it stuck].

Growing up, I always got asked where I was from. Because of my speech impediment, people thought I was from England or some place far away.

Because I read lips, I look at people's mouths a lot. I have run into some disgusting mouths, yes. Some people don't open their mouth well, some move their mouth weirdly, and if I've talked to a mother/father and daughter/son, I'll notice their mouth moves the same. I just think it's interesting because I will point out "their lips are weird" or "did you see the way they move their mouth?" and most of the time, no one else has noticed.

When I was a baby, I only paid attention to the men, because of their deep voices. Growing up, I was always better friends with the boys than with the girls.

I like to say that people are jealous because I'm deaf. There are advantages and disadvantages to being deaf.

When I listen to my iPod, I will have my volume turned up where I can hear it [I always thought it was not that loud] but friends and family would tell me "Denise! You're going to blow your earphones, turn your music down!".

When Derrik used to ask me "did you take your medicine?" I'd respond with a "hmm?", pretending I didn't hear him [I did hear him, but I didn't take my medicine, so I would pretend I didn't hear him]. He'd then ask a second time, just a little bit louder. I'd respond with "I'm sorry, babe, I still am not hearing you". Then he'd catch on and "get mad". That trick doesn't work anymore.

When I was little, my grandma watched this show about police officers and this woman who was deaf and could read lips helped them by watching the bad guys' conversations and relaying what they'd say. She told me I could help the police office like that because I could read lips when I was older. I told her "yes, nana, but I can't read duck lips". She laughed so hard, she had no idea where that came from.

In high school, when friends or kids in class would call my name, they'd whisper, so not to get in trouble. Well, could I ever hear them? No. They didn't know that though. Well, one day someone got upset and said "gosh! are you deaf or something?" Finally, I got mad and said "yes, I am!". Nobody tried whispering my name after that.

When people find out I'm deaf, they immediately tell me that's the coolest thing ever. They ask to see my hearing aids, ask me to read their lips, and ask me how I became deaf.

Growing up, my parents always showed us they loved each other. How? By making mushy jokes and being gross in front of us kids. Well, when they'd be making mushy jokes, I'd just turn off my hearing aids and boom! instant deafness. :) My sisters hated that about me.

I lost my hearing aids several times when I was in elementary. I'd lose them in the sand, put them through the washing machine. We always found them and they always worked. Much to my dismay.

My second institute director was trying to argue that Twix bars were better than Kit Kat bars [KK are my FAVORITE]. Well, I thought he knew I was deaf, so I told him "your arguement fell on deaf ears. LITERALLY." and I just thought that was super funny. A couple days later, he asked me about that joke and said "so are you deaf?" That made me laugh even harder and he asked me "so are you maintaining deafness or....degrading?" HAHAHAHAHAHA. I couldn't stop laughing for like 5 minutes. I eventually told him that I was "maintaining" and how I was deaf.

Charlye, my second oldest sister, told me I could walk around campus or somewhere and put a finger on my ear and say "The eagle has landed and is safe. Over".

When I take my hearing aids out at night (you don't sleep in them), I'd say "okay, I'm going dark!" or "My ears are out!"

I assumed for a long time that everyone could read lips [I catch myself still thinking that sometimes]. It's such a simple thing to me. I've tried teaching Derrik to. He's gotten better than he was two years ago, but there are still lots of times when he mouths back to me I don't read lips or just makes his mouth do gibberish.