Being deaf

I find it amusing in this world in this day and age the amount of people that find it amazing when I tell them I am deaf in my right ear and do not wear any device for it. I was born 100% deaf in my right ear and I love it. It is still unknown to the world today why I am deaf and frankly I could not be happier. I have grown from it and it has helped me out. Because I was born deaf I actually got the opportunity to do public speaking in high school. This helped me come out of my shell since I was kind of shy. I am now a very vocal person (hence the blog). Also being deaf is a part of me. No I do not let it define me, but I have to give it credit because it is still who I am and I feel it is more of an advantage to be deaf. Someone reading this may be wondering why. Well the reason is one: I get away with things that a normal person cannot (ex: when I was younger I used to get out of doing my chores with it, I do not do that anymore because I think it is wrong to use it as an excuse or a crutch). Two it is a great conversation piece for when there is nothing else. Three people think I am interesting and cool for being deaf due to no reason.
I still find it interesting that people tend to kind of find it weird that I love being deaf, but in truth i was not always like this. When you have a disability you go through stages of accepting it. Some of us get angry, some try to deny it, some want to try to fix it, and many other things. The last stage for everyone though is accepting it. It is hard, especially if you get teased for it growing up. Luckily for me I never had that but some people have. I went through denial for a long time and I do not regret going through that stage because I realized that it is better to be me than to be someone else because of it. Also because of the denial I worked really hard so I could talk like everyone else, thus I have no deaf accent like a lot of my comrades and only way you can tell is if I tell you. For me this is kind of good because sometimes people try to treat me differently because they call it a disability. I do not think of myself as disabled. In fact I believe I have an unfair advantage of everyone because I have had experiences because of it that most people can only dream of. One of these is the fact that I spoke at Johns Hopkins University and in front of my state senate. Thus making me outgoing. I also have had formal training in public speaking and being a leader. I have met some really awesome people because I have had so many opportunities. Being deaf I also learned the importance of not judging others. In fact I believe everyone is equal in some way (what someone may be better than you at you may be better at in their weakness and so on and so forth.) and sometimes you may not understand someone, but that is the beauty of everyone being different we can learn and grow from one another. No two people are alike. Even identical twins have differences. I also have a deep appreciation for life because of it. Being deaf in my book is by no means a disability. Sure some may have a hard time, but the thing is the difficulties are temporary. You get used to being deaf and then you find the advantages. Granted I do not know what it is like to hear in my right ear, but I know people who were not born deaf. I do not know what I am missing and so for me I love being deaf and I love the worlds I know because of it.
We all have our challenges in life and this I guess for many may be seen as one I have conquered. We can all grow from our challenges if we will allow it and not let it define us. I love being deaf and I love the benefits. It has its challenges but to me these are small in comparison to what I have learned from it. I will always find it amusing when I talk to someone who tries to "fix" me and tell me how to deal with it. I will forever be amused when people start telling me about the technology that is out there for hearing. I know all of them well and none will work since I have a perfect ear and am in the 1% of unknown hearing loss. Thus when someone tells me how to deal with something I was born with I get amused. I think it is cute how animated some people get. Since I am deaf people I guess will always want to try to "fix" me, but how can you fix something that is in that person's opinion already perfect? I am who I am and that will never change even if they do find out what is wrong with me and I eventually do get to hear out of it, it is still something I have had and an experience I have grown from. Being deaf is not a disability, not if you do not let it become one.