How to survive in high school as a hearing impaired student
"Yes" I said.
" Yes is your name?" asked the teacher as everyone around me laughed.
I closed my eyes and tried very hard to disappear into thin air.
That's how my high-school started, first math hour and the master implementation of my plan to hear better. Having had meningitis as a kid, my hearing was royally fucked. The left ear was basically dead and the right one with deep nerve damage, I KNEW that I couldn't hear better, at least physically. But I schemed and designed strategies to work around it, minimize, ignore and neglect this disadvantage.
Like a magician, I tried to bring people into my world. I've created my own mirrors, I've brought my own smoke: I was paying more attention than everyone, I was reading the body language like a wizard studying arcane texts, I was guessing what people will say before they even started. I was a step ahead. At least in my world..
And to bring this world to be, I had to control the situation, the environment, the message. I always had a good story to tell, a funny thing to mention, a way to talk about nothing until time ended and a supernova ate us all. The less I had to listen, the less was not to hear, right?
And so, I persevered.
- at this point some of your might see where this is going, I'm sorry I didn't -
It worked surprinsingly well. It worked amazingly easy. It worked until it didn't.
Usually I could gather the essential and I could imagine the rest. I danced around specifics and dove deep into the general until I knew I was on subject. Than, I went back to specifics.
Sadly, I could never be ready for spontaniety. A quick unexpected question. A witty remark. I was lost. I was lost in my head trying to think what to say next, I was broguth back by this like a hit in the head with a hammer: "Uh..umm...i mean...".
Uncertainity! Frustration!! Fury!! and...at thend..shame were feelings overwhelming me then. Each with ice cold precision hitting me in my soul.
That's when I invented the "yes-no-maybe" system.
*/end of part 1*
me in high school - 14 years ago.
Amazing story. It really helps me appreciate what you went through, a silent battle and an amazing development of not just your other senses, but also the mental preparedness to anticipate and prepare for these situations - wow. I look forward to reading more of your work!
well, thanks, it means a lot to me for you to say that. it was difficult at times yeah but don't we all have it difficult some way or another? :) thank you again for your upvote and your encouragement. This will keep me going!
PS: i'm also a fan of yours!
Nice post man, keep up the good work. Appreciate you had the courage to talk about your past like this. Shows you are a strong individual. Props