Thursday, January 31, 2008

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*

13 comments:

Valerie said...

I agree that comment is so powerful. I never thought of it that way. It is just so difficult to always keep explaining yourself to others - the why I did it, why I love it, why I need it.

Paotie is a character - he makes blogging fun!!!!

On a funny note - I decided to wear my hair up yesterday and the processors were showing. One of the teachers stopped me and said - why are you wearing hearing aids again, those cochlear implants worked better for you. I just laughed. She never saw the processor before. Guess I have to start keeping my hair down. One of my kids in my class, kept trying to touch them. What do they feel like, do they hurt, and how do they stick to you. So to say the least, it was an interesting day.

Divided said...

ha ha ha, I had my hearing aid on before I logged onto your site and heard the music!! BUT, my dear husband was sitting next to me eating his breakfast and he thought his pager was going off (he is hard of hearing too). He said this music you had on sounded like his pager. I had to laugh!!!
My children are now in their mid/late 30's with family of their own. I've had a long talk with my kids one day few years back and told them if I have ever made a bad decisions for them I was sorry for that. We all, as parents, try to do what is right for our children. The most important thing I think is that we need to maintain our openess, communicate and talk about our thoughts, emotions and feelings rather than keeping them locked up. It's the same in blogging sphere...we all need to maintain a level of openess and respect for one another. Say what is on your mind but respectfully...without slamming others. We all are, after all,....human and we come from different places with different experiences. Valentine's Day is coming up....spread the love.

Jodi...I took the liberty of emailing Terry Giansanti and told him to get in touch with you...he said he sent you an email. I hope you'll get in touch with him and meet him one day.

Anonymous said...

Now everyone at work is looking at me strangely while I choke from laughter. John and I are going to meet next time he gets up into my area. How's that for making love. Yes, feel free to join in.

It was nice to get past the generalizations and actually talk about specific experiences.

Unknown said...

Heyyy! I had my husband read your blog and he paged me with this message while I was laying in the tanning booth at the gym:

"Haha. Is that why you enjoy workout class so much? As a "mom trying to lose some ass and looking at some package??" LOL

I have to admit that our yoga instructor's got that bohunk of a package! That's why I always end up in the far end so not to be distracted!!!

By the way, the time spent at the salon last Sunday was soooo relaxing that I want more. This weekend I'll go for some more bleaching.

Go check Paotie's Black Thursday! Youre the star of his blog.

Unknown said...

Val...Keep your hair up! Jodi

Unknown said...

Divided...made contact! thank you, Jodi

Unknown said...

K.L....I can smell the Starbucks! SO jealous! ooh nostalgia is so painful. Jodi

Unknown said...

Anna S,
I am SO sure you were looking hot after that hair appt. "Bohunk???!!" Must remember that one *smile* Thanks for the heads up about Paotie...he called me a flirt, so nice to be understood! fistsmack, Jodi

Karen Putz said...

That's it... I'm signing up for an exercise class! I just have to look for a packaged hunk to go with it. :)

Kim said...

I really hate to tell you girls this, but usually the guys who wear really **tight** spandex are looking for MALE attention. At least that's how it is in the US- I don't know about Italy. Too bad-- why do they have to be so damned good-looking?? :-(

K.L. said...

That's ok. It's all eye candy anyway.

Abbie said...

Yep, they still wear them and there is nothing more distracting then a man in spandex on a treadmill with junior in tow... Despite the common notion that black is slimming does not apply to them...
*shaking head*

that comment is very well thought out and it is written from the heart, that was the chocolate icing on the cake.

Unknown said...

Yes ladies in the house, with our minds in the guttahs! Eye Candy, plain and simple. Jodi