The Best Part of "Fighting" is...

Hold onto your pants cause this post is going to be loooooooong! Had a really surprising dream last night...so, I've been in a spectacular mood all day. Mishka's Mom Post left me feeling nostalgic and sad - my prayers are with her and her mom, how ironic that both of my parents checked in after yesterday's blog. My dad said, "I told you so a while back that capital letters means you're yelling!" (When have I ever listened to my dad?) And my mom, finally read the post where I say I've been neglecting my children, so she slammed hard with a "You are a blogging slut! Get off the computer and go spend some time with your suffering children who love you and need you..." (Can't say I've ever really listened to my mom, either.) So, here I go:

A. SlackinPenguin left me a power comment on yesterday's post that I wanted to share...it's all about comprehension and openmindedness:

Hi Jodi,

I'm deaf, but I am also one who has declined the CI because I had already had a lifetime of using the hearing aid and I was comfortable with it.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that just like every other known group of people out there, the deaf community has its extremists. Islam has theirs who are bent on subjugating the world to Islam. The Christians have theirs who are bent on taking freedom away from women who want the option of abortion. Then the deaf community has theirs who are bent on making sure that every hearing parent out there follows their rules when it comes to raising deaf children.

When you're dealing with these extremists, always remember that the majority of the community from whence they came don't think and believe the same things the extremists are spouting. Rest assured that for every extremist you encounter, there are probably ten or more non-extremists. It doesn't seem that way because the extremists are the ones who make the most noise.

The one common theme amongst the extremists of the world is the use of propaganda heavily sprinkled with negative connotations in order to paint their opponents as being bad or evil. The Islamic extremists use words like "immorality" to paint the pro-freedom people as being evil. The Christian extremists use the word "murderers" to paint the pro-choice people as being evil. The deaf extremists use words like "fix" to paint the pro-choice people as being evil with intentions of destroying the deaf world.

I understand you're a parent of a deaf child and I understand that you've gone through a tough time making the best, informed decisions you could regarding your deaf child. I'm a parent too, though both my children are hearing, I can empathize with your situation as I've had to make tough decisions regarding my children too. I can tell from reading your blog that you're an intelligent and caring woman so I'm sure that you are a parent who wants nothing but the best for her child and I know you've gone to extreme lengths to be sure that you made an informed decision. I, for one, admire you for your strength and ability to stand up to the extremists and say "I made the choice for my child that I felt was best for my child". Good for you!

Bottom line? Yes, there are deaf people who support you. Yes, there are deaf people who believe you have the freedom to raise your children in a manner you feel is best. Yes, there are deaf people who will welcome you and your deaf children in the deaf world regardless of the choices you make.

You've got a supporter and a friend in me, a deaf man who chose not to use the CI, but knows that others may find the CI useful.

Chin up, smile, and be proud.

January 30, 2008 12:12 PM

Then, 194 comments later on Mishka's blog, John and K.L. started making love and the beautiful comments ended with this...

But give the parents of deaf children and CI kids some credit– they are not totally oblivious to a deaf child’s needs. They are confronting deafness in their own child and doing the best they know how. At least they have some understanding about deafness, if not directly themselves but thru their deaf child’s interaction with the world, that’s better than the majority of hearing people out there. Do we want them as our hearing allies or as our usual enemies? So, yes, reaction is something we need to consider when speaking with these parents.
(Anyone for a threesome??) I think Mishka can be damn proud of where her concerns led...

And then, there was comment number 148 by Sharon R.:
I, myself, don’t like Jodi at all. She is like a snake with two tongues
*Paotie...would you date a woman with two tongues?*

B.SEE THIS: A Girl Sent my Son a Text Message:)
Well...here is part 2.
I took an hour off to escape from myself and go to the gym. LIVE, LIVE, LIVE (SCREAMING HERE) FOR PILATES! Pilates relaxes the brain and teaches you to breathe while working abs, butt, legs, arms, everything, it is a liberating experience and I swear I had no idea my body could even get itself in some of those positions. My class is hysterical, a mix of all ages and body types. There are three men who take the class and one of these men was a major topic of conversation at our New Year's Eve party this year. Do men in the USA still wear spandex shorts? Does this give you ANY clue of what I have to look at during every class??? I have never seen such a package in my life!! Highly distracting for a frustrated mother trying to lose some ass and free the mind. Anyway, there is a point to all this. When I turned my cell phone back on after my class, I heard the bling bling of a new message. I faaalip open the phone and there it is...message number 2 from Martina (tramp)for Jordan:
Hi, Jordan - I'm Marty. I can't come to school tomorrow because I still have a cough and Dad and Mom say that I have to stay home another day. I don't really agree with this but (she inserted two BIG smiles here). I hope to be back in school on Friday. Wait for me! (note the exclamation point) Your friend, Marty. PS. Now my mom has a fever, too.
Aha! She has now slyly gone from Martina to Marty...yeah, she's workin' my boy.
Jordan's reaction: shy grin..."Mom, you write her back!" Oh, no, my boy - this one's all yours...
Jordan's response:
Marty, I hope you get well soon, so we can see each other on Friday. Our teacher assigned us Math groups and we're in the same group, we missed you. Bye from Jordan (he added a smile with its tongue sticking out) Hope your mom feels better.

When I posted this on the Ci Circle (HAPPY TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!)one of the moms replied that I should get him his own cell phone...My response:
He has his own cell phone! *wink*