Christmas and What I Like About It

Hey Everyone!

Well, Alicia gave me a nice list of topics to blog about so I am going to work my way through each of them! I want more suggestions from others too! I have a goal to post everyday this month!

Christmas is a time of year filled with magic, snow, dreams, and family. My personal take on Christmas isn't always that simple though. I come from a large hearing family of which I am the only Deaf person. I have a hard of hearing grandfather who is in denial but that is the closest thing I have to a Deaf family member. This means that during those magical family gatherings full of constant chatter and conversation I am left out.

I have developed the coping mechanisms that other Deaf people have. I bring a friend that signs, try to lock down people in 1-1 conversations, hide in a back room, or just skip out on the event all together. Not only are these coping mechanisms applied at the regular family gatherings but office parties, and get togethers with hearing friends as well.

Then there is the shopping that goes along with Christmas. I think this part is miserable for everyone, hearing loss or not. When you factor in the hearing loss you get a whole new shopping experience. If you use hearing aids (especially of the power variety) you get blasted with sounds that make little sense and make your eyes twitch. You develop a headache only moments after stepping into the mall, which in turn leads to a bitter and angry attitude. As you walk through the mall and fight your way through the large crowds you wonder why you are subjecting yourself to such pain and torture. Finally you arrive at the first store. You run in grab what you need and make your way to the counter. There seems to be a problem and the cashier is saying something to you. Because of the strong accent you have no idea what they are trying to communicate. You gesture for them to write it down but they just over-enunciate and end up looking like a monkey trying to eat taffy. You look around desperately and catch the managers eye. They see the look of distress and the cashier turned orangutan and come to investigate. By this point you are now gesturing violently and digging through your purse looking for something to write on.

You finally find an old receipt and scribble on the back "I'm deaf!". The roar from the mall outside is making you dizzy and as you glance at the note you just wrote, you remember you are Deaf! You thrust the note at the orangutan and his boss while ripping the plastic daemons from your ears. The manager reads your note and write back "Do you have an airmiles card?". With a look of sheer disgust you realize what you just went through to be asked if you have an airmiles card. You shake your head, violently shove a credit card the orangutan, take your purchases and run. You renter the mall and jump into the current, swimming against it. You enter the next store only to start the process over again.

So now, what do I like about Christmas? I think it would be the reunion with friends that are dispersed across the world at University. Sitting around a table at our favorite cafe debating politics, philosophy, and anything else we can thing of. It's making those new memories that will keep you going through the winter semester, that is what I like about Christmas!

Jenny