You know I can't go a day without blogging, especially since Valentine's Day is only a couple of hours away...I'm feeling motivated by loooooovvvvvveeeee:) Who knows what this V-Day will bring? For some it will be D-Day.
Love. What a crazy, surreal concept. There are so many different kinds of love: a mother's unconditional love for her child often compared to a man's love for his dog; empathetic love for your friends; grateful love for people who have helped you in your life; fleeting love for the guy who lets you in the slam-packed lane on the beltway; unexpected love for the person who sends you a letter that rocks your world and changes your life; undying love for the postman who does NOT drop off a bill in your mailbox.
To love, your heart needs to be functioning and giving, because true love is about giving and not taking. Love inspires creativity and self-expression. Suddenly, when it rains- provoking the dreaded bad-hair day- you just do not even give a shit. You glide through the day and when someone gives you the finger, you smile and say, "Thank you."
To love is one of the greatest risks in life, because you allow someone else to have access to your soul. Some people are born lovers, while others are either born closed or suffer to such a great degree that they no longer trust others enough to let themselves love. These are the saddest people because they screw their way through life without ever feeling, truly feeling. Yes, sex is exciting, invigorating, but sex without heart is empty...and these people too afraid to risk, end up alone. It's easy to be alone. You have no one to tell you where to be at what time and when and how to do your thing and live your life.
Speaking of creativity, I will never forget one of the most romantic gestures a guy has ever done for me...I was dating this guy, and he was just not idolizing me to the degree I deserved, so I ended it. The next morning I woke up to go to work, and as I left my house, I noticed a trail of rose petals leading from the door. I followed the rose petals to my car, where there were thousands of them covering my car. To see your car covered in rose petals is quite an emotional experience. On the hood of my car there was a letter that said, "Please forgive me, let's get back together!" (He wanted my body.)
I called him and told him that was the most romantic gesture a guy had ever done for me (or anyone I remotely knew), but it was...too little, too late. Ba-Bye. Told y'all I was a bitch.
The moral of this little blog is that no matter how hard one person tries, she can't make the other person love her back if the love just isn't there. And sometimes, even if the love is there, she still can't make him love her.
So, to all of the lovers who will find their Valentine's Days filled with pink boas, chocolate hearts, stuffed animals and passionate sex...appreciate-truly appreciate that love and feeling
because
there will be just as many people suffering this Valentine's Day, deluded and disappointed, but...still in love.
Note: Tomorrow's blog will be about Romeo-Jordan's big Valentine's Day.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Taking a Day Off...
Today...I am tired. NO blog. And, I have to go hunt down TWO Valentine's Day presents for Romeo-Jordan who has already told the two lucky ladies that they will be receiving something from him on the BIG DAY. So, because Wednesday is usually my craziest day, and I would have had no time to go find those gifts, I'm PLAYING HOOKY!!! from the world! Have a great day, everyone, I'll be back tomorrow - Valentine's Day!! Love Valentine's Day, I'm such a romantic at heart. I kiss-smack all of you, Jodi
To order the Adorable CI Bear Pillow or the Chocolate Hearts, click here. (Proceeds go to ci-related organizations and both designs were created by the one and only Rachel)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Can't We Make Love?...Nope!...Let Us Take a Moment to REFLECT!
*Read at your own risk*
God, what a great morning. My morning was so beyond relaxing: I had three pre-school classes and out of 90 monsters, about sixty were absent with the chicken pox and flu...poor pediatricians of Grosseto:) I honestly can not remember one thing that I sang, I know I danced, and I somehow managed to make it home in one piece...
Pre-pre-school, I read Paula's blog that called me a sexual blogger, so I'm freaking getting sick of this deep analysis shit, and I am so feeling the need to break out with some sen-su-a-li-ty. Wahoo...maximum stimulation...another blog by Paotie, that I was just begging for (although I find blondes highly overrated)...and Aidan with her intense blog has me considering joining my sister in her lifestyle. However, Aidan's analysis, ain't working for me, especially because I can't stand Italian cinema - just Roberto Benigni.
*Perhaps I'm not deep enough to understand Italian humor - but women shaking a lot of t and a and looking stupid just is not funny, and they certainly have a difficult time "getting" me*
One fundamental problem with Italian culture is that it lives way too much in the country's rich past. Look at the Elementary School curriculum! Where is the focus on science? Non-existent. In five years of Elementary School, Jordan performed one experiment using the Scientific Method, pathetic. Actually, Jordan's cochlear implant experience may have been the most technological learning moment of his five years. History, history, let's study our agricultural territory and concentrate on nutrition...yes, Italy is breathtakingly beautiful with artists, painters and musicians. This lack of concentration on Science has had a direct effect on research and technological innovation leading to the infamous New York Times article "Italy Sings an Aria of Disappointment" of a month ago - see post. Why don't we take the Italian experience and use it as an analogy for why it is time to acknowledge how technology must be integrated and accepted by the Deaf Community? Time to move forward...this does not mean forsaking our past, it means learning from it and evolving.
Just when I was getting hot and heavy, deafread.com editors decide they are taking a moment to reflect on how to organize deafread.com...another common Italian thing -"Il famoso periodo di riflessione" So, now I have become foreplay...waiting, waiting, waiting. Limboland is just so not the place for a full-blown Scorpio like myself. I need action and decisive moves...balls.
Ann C left this comment that rocked my world:
Ann_C said...
Since I started commenting on DeafRead a few months ago, I first noted how ASL-centric or Deaf-centric the blog aggregator was. However, more and more deaf people with moderate views have been weighing in either their own blogs or comments in other blogs.
There are a few individuals who hold extreme views and tend to be most vocal and critical of other deaf who think differently. The squeakiest wheel tends to get the most attention unfortunately.
It is my hope that DeafRead practices a fair policy to treat all deaf, including those who are members of Deaf culture, equally. We can all learn from other deaf perspectives, even though I may not relate to the CI experience, for example. Tolerance and acceptance of others are rather new concepts for the d/Deaf who suffer intolerance and rejection by the hearing world on a daily basis.
It is one thing to talk tolerance and acceptance of different deaf perspectives, another to actually practice what one preaches among ourselves. Online blogging for the deaf is relatively new, and it's so easy to malign others behind the mask of anonymity even when there is a blogging policy or etiquette in place. Online blogging magnifies the extremes, when in real life, as Karen Mayes noted, people are really not like that in person-to-person interaction. Online we're looking at either someone's words in text or sign, it's that one more remove from actual person-to-person chat.
OTOH DeafRead can touch so many lives by bringing together in one place so many different deaf people. None of us are cookie-cutter made, each of us have had a unique deaf experience, but we all have that one commonality, deafness. That is where we all need to begin in order to practice what we preach.
Commenters' voices add diversity to this whole deafread.com experience, and they are asking for equal opportunity blogging to enrich the dialogue. Sidenote: Brian and Karen Mayes are THE hottest couple of commenters on deafread.com *wink*
Soooooo, deafread.com editors...Pucker Up -
You know you want to kiss me...
and I know how to use my tongue(s).
Monday, February 11, 2008
How Deaf Is Deaf Enough? Playing God on deafread.com?
On Ka'lalau's Korner the following question is asked:
Can humans exist without some people being Deaf and using American Sign Language (ASL)?
I don't really understand that question, how about this one:
*Can the Deaf Community accept that ASL is not the natural language of all Deaf people?*
A couple of days ago a thread was going around on the Pediatric CI Circle called "Born to Talk" where a mother posted this experience:
Last night, I overheard my son in the bathtub playing with his pirate ship and
having battles with empty, enemy shampoo containers when I thought, "I should
have this on video to show people that spoken language is not 'unnatural' for
deaf children." (Guess that wouldn't be fair to my boy when he grows up since he
was in the tub after all. lol) Here was my deaf child, happy as can be, with no
technology hooked up and no one even listening to him as far as he knew, fully
narrating both sides of a battle with play by play action; correcting himself
when he pronounced something wrong or thought of a better word than the one he
just used; and including sound effects for the cannons and such. It was another
example of a time when I think to myself, "What if I hadn't given this child
this verbal outlet?" He was SO born to talk. The fact that he was born unable
to hear did not change that.
Hmmm. Jordan was "born to talk" and now he won't shut the hell up. Is it okay if he speaks first and signs later??? Is he still "Deaf enough" for the Deaf community?
In another "profound comment" on that blog, the blogger writes (extremely intelligently *dripping in sarcasm*):
Oralists and CI people are like dogs needing constant praises and treats.
My son and others like him will NEVER be accepted by Deaf people like this "gentleman."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Moi blogs: At the crux of the issue is: what exactly is DeafRead supposed to be?
The response may be perceived as a direct correlation to the following question:
What exactly is the DEAF Community supposed to be?
Note to the Editors of deafread.com who posted this on my comments:
J.J. Puorro (a DR Human Editor) said...
A few quick comments:
1.) It is a shame that Paula decided to leave DR. It was her decision however.
2.) If your posts are ending up in extra, please review the DR guidelines. It has nothing to do with the human editors disliking CI posts. It has to do with the post not meeting the guidelines. If you see a conflict where you did not violate the guidelines and the post is still in Extra, E-mail us for an explanation.
3.) We have something in the works and hope to announce it shortly. Sit tight everyone...
4.) I will not be commenting further here, any questions just E-mail me using the DR "contact us" page.
Moi addresses a fundamental issue in all of this:
As in our homes in the real world, we are selective about whom we allow in our homes and even more selective about whom gets to see the entire house. Only people that we feel close to and comfortable with usually get to see our back rooms, the upstairs, our bedrooms, and so on. Friends and acquaintances can get as far as our porches, our living rooms, our kitchens, and maybe more, depending on the situation and on our level of openness. We don’t allow people in our homes who do the following: treat us or our people with disrespect, diss our values, dishonor us in any way, insult us, et cetera. We definitely allow people who are different from us and who have different opinions from us, as long as they’re friendly and respectful. The DeafRead main page, to me, is analogous to the back rooms, while the Extra page is for everybody and anybody.
...just do some serious soul-searching about the future of the DEAF community before you opt for segregation of the "successful cochlear implant stories" of fellow deaf community members who are knocking on your door.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
On a lighter note...
Christina dropped another bomb of a post on her blog, made me cry (I'm sensitive like that):
Looking back on our 1st Year of Parenthood, but more specifically, our 1st Year as Parents to a Deaf Child, I really could've used a "Do's and Don't" list. So, in an effort to help the Mommy's and Daddy's who may be going through, I figured I would make my own. Now, I know every family is different. And we all have different strategies...so, take my advice for what it is....advice. And always, always, do what is best for YOUR family.
Here it goes:
Do ask questions if your baby fails all or part of the Newborn Hearing Screen.
When will they repeat the test? Who was it done by? Can I get a second opinion? And most importantly, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Don't let the Newborn Hearing Screen folks sugarcoat the results.
This was our biggest mistake, THAT I STILL REGRET. Since Christian was a C-Section baby, they claimed that his failed test "Was completely normal...he probably just has fluid in his ears". I believed them. I took that hope home, and didn't do the research. We went back two weeks later to find that he failed again...with no fluid in his ears.
Do trust your gut feelings.
Regardless if you are a 1st time parent, or a vetran, you have to trust your instincts. You know your baby better than anyone. We had the TOP ENTs in our area tell us our kid could hear fine after doing some pitchfork tests. I KNEW ALL ALONG that my kid couldn't hear the sound. He was just responding to the MOVEMENTS of the doctor's arms.
Don't feel guilty about shopping around for the best doctors for your kid.
There's no time, or room for worrying about hurting a doctor's feelings. Do what is best for your kid.
Do get the right tests for your baby.
Request and ABR for more clarification if you have to. Have an actual audiologist do it, not just a tech. Be prepared to ask questions.
Don't bang pots and pans next to your 3 week old's bassinet. *repeat offender*
Trust me. It does NOTHING but make you worry more. You CAN'T change that they can't hear.
Do prepare yourself for long lagtimes between visits, tests, and results.
It happens. No matter where you live. Just be patient. With that being said, take Marielle's Mom's advice too: You also have to fight, fight, fight to get appointments. Be the mom they fear! Call around until you find somone who can see you within a reasonable time.
The secretary at Hopkins and I got to know eachother very well when I called EVERYDAY for Month for Christian!
Do Your Research, and Keep an Open Mind.
Learn about your child's degree of loss. Where do they fall on the Speech Banana? Learn what the Speech Banana is. Research communication options, and don't RULE ANYTHING OUT. I remember feeling how there was NO WAY that my son would use American Sign Language. He was going to speak, and I believed that ASL was NOT going to help him. I'm glad that my husband and I opened our minds and hearts to all of the communication options available. For our family, we chose to use ASL along with spoken English. It works for us. Research what will work for YOUR family.
Don't OVER RESEARCH. *guilty of this as well*
Googling and WebMding "Profound Hearing Loss" everyday, all day won't help. Watching YouTube videos 3 hours straight about kids with Cochlear Implants wont' either. All you'll do is burn yourself out. Take a Break. I enventually did, only after I lost about a week's worth of sleep.
Do make sure you have your county's Early Intervention team in place...EARLY!
It was a very long road to Christian's diagnosis and amplification, and we really didn't get EI involved as soon as I would've liked. The moment you suspect something isn't quite right, CALL THEM.
Don't let your child's hearing loss DEFINE THEM and YOUR FAMILY. *this one's a beauty!*
It took me a long time to stop the never ending chorus of "I have a Deaf Baby. I have a Deaf Baby. I have a Deaf Baby" in my head. For a period of time, I let Christian's hearing loss define him, and I REGRET THAT TOO! It took a good friend to smack me to my senses and help me realize there was so much more to my little man. Sure, he couldn't hear quite as well as us, but other than that he was fine. You'll end up missing the little things, like laughs, giggles, and cuddles.
Do make time for your spouse. *not easy*
When we actually heard the words "Your Son Is Profoundly Deaf", it rocked my world, and it definitely rocked my marriage. Having a new baby already shakes up your world, then couple that with a kid who may have some special needs....wow, it was rough. It's so hard to not take every waking moment to talk about the baby and how he can't hear, what we're going to do about him not hearing, why he's not hearing, etc. My husband and I FELL INTO THAT TRAP. Take a step back. Remind yourselves why you had your beautiful baby to begin with. Take time for eachother. You need eachother now more than ever.
Don't Blame Yourself
I'm a hearing Mommy to a Deaf Baby. I blamed myself everyday for his hearing loss. I tore myself apart thinking that something that I DID caused this. It broke my heart. Then, one day...it clicked. After a serious amount of prayer, I accepted that Christian's loss was completely out of my control. I did everything right during the pregnancy. It just so happens that we carry a gene that just happened to be passed down to our kid. The sleep you lose blaming yourself isn't worth it. Save your energy for your baby.
Finally, DO FIND SUPPORT! *Pediatric Cochlear Implant Circle...sometimes deafread.com*
My husband and I are so lucky to have an amazing family, and a very close group of friends who have been there for us throughout our entire journey. Through their prayers and support, we have been able to stay positive and focus on our family. Let your family and friends know what you need from them. THEY WANT TO HELP.
I found an amazing group of parents at the Listen-Up website who have been such an invaluable resource. We share stories, advice, and most importantly, we support eachother. I STRONGLY urge parents of babies who have been diagnosed with a hearing loss to stop by and visit. It helped us out SO much.
By no means am I an expert when it comes to dealing with Hearing Loss. I certainly have moments everyday where I wonder "Is this right? Am I doing what is right for Christian"? This entire year has been such a learning experience for me. I test my own limits, and patience, just as any other Mom does with young children. I still worry everyday. I learned this year to keep an open mind and an open heart. Most importantly, I learned to let go of the guilt, the fear, and the anger. I learned to enjoy my sweet, silly, and absolutely PERFECT little boy for the child that he is.
*Love, absolutely LOVE Christina*
Can humans exist without some people being Deaf and using American Sign Language (ASL)?
I don't really understand that question, how about this one:
*Can the Deaf Community accept that ASL is not the natural language of all Deaf people?*
A couple of days ago a thread was going around on the Pediatric CI Circle called "Born to Talk" where a mother posted this experience:
Last night, I overheard my son in the bathtub playing with his pirate ship and
having battles with empty, enemy shampoo containers when I thought, "I should
have this on video to show people that spoken language is not 'unnatural' for
deaf children." (Guess that wouldn't be fair to my boy when he grows up since he
was in the tub after all. lol) Here was my deaf child, happy as can be, with no
technology hooked up and no one even listening to him as far as he knew, fully
narrating both sides of a battle with play by play action; correcting himself
when he pronounced something wrong or thought of a better word than the one he
just used; and including sound effects for the cannons and such. It was another
example of a time when I think to myself, "What if I hadn't given this child
this verbal outlet?" He was SO born to talk. The fact that he was born unable
to hear did not change that.
Hmmm. Jordan was "born to talk" and now he won't shut the hell up. Is it okay if he speaks first and signs later??? Is he still "Deaf enough" for the Deaf community?
In another "profound comment" on that blog, the blogger writes (extremely intelligently *dripping in sarcasm*):
Oralists and CI people are like dogs needing constant praises and treats.
My son and others like him will NEVER be accepted by Deaf people like this "gentleman."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Moi blogs: At the crux of the issue is: what exactly is DeafRead supposed to be?
The response may be perceived as a direct correlation to the following question:
What exactly is the DEAF Community supposed to be?
Note to the Editors of deafread.com who posted this on my comments:
J.J. Puorro (a DR Human Editor) said...
A few quick comments:
1.) It is a shame that Paula decided to leave DR. It was her decision however.
2.) If your posts are ending up in extra, please review the DR guidelines. It has nothing to do with the human editors disliking CI posts. It has to do with the post not meeting the guidelines. If you see a conflict where you did not violate the guidelines and the post is still in Extra, E-mail us for an explanation.
3.) We have something in the works and hope to announce it shortly. Sit tight everyone...
4.) I will not be commenting further here, any questions just E-mail me using the DR "contact us" page.
Moi addresses a fundamental issue in all of this:
As in our homes in the real world, we are selective about whom we allow in our homes and even more selective about whom gets to see the entire house. Only people that we feel close to and comfortable with usually get to see our back rooms, the upstairs, our bedrooms, and so on. Friends and acquaintances can get as far as our porches, our living rooms, our kitchens, and maybe more, depending on the situation and on our level of openness. We don’t allow people in our homes who do the following: treat us or our people with disrespect, diss our values, dishonor us in any way, insult us, et cetera. We definitely allow people who are different from us and who have different opinions from us, as long as they’re friendly and respectful. The DeafRead main page, to me, is analogous to the back rooms, while the Extra page is for everybody and anybody.
...just do some serious soul-searching about the future of the DEAF community before you opt for segregation of the "successful cochlear implant stories" of fellow deaf community members who are knocking on your door.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
On a lighter note...
Christina dropped another bomb of a post on her blog, made me cry (I'm sensitive like that):
Looking back on our 1st Year of Parenthood, but more specifically, our 1st Year as Parents to a Deaf Child, I really could've used a "Do's and Don't" list. So, in an effort to help the Mommy's and Daddy's who may be going through, I figured I would make my own. Now, I know every family is different. And we all have different strategies...so, take my advice for what it is....advice. And always, always, do what is best for YOUR family.
Here it goes:
Do ask questions if your baby fails all or part of the Newborn Hearing Screen.
When will they repeat the test? Who was it done by? Can I get a second opinion? And most importantly, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Don't let the Newborn Hearing Screen folks sugarcoat the results.
This was our biggest mistake, THAT I STILL REGRET. Since Christian was a C-Section baby, they claimed that his failed test "Was completely normal...he probably just has fluid in his ears". I believed them. I took that hope home, and didn't do the research. We went back two weeks later to find that he failed again...with no fluid in his ears.
Do trust your gut feelings.
Regardless if you are a 1st time parent, or a vetran, you have to trust your instincts. You know your baby better than anyone. We had the TOP ENTs in our area tell us our kid could hear fine after doing some pitchfork tests. I KNEW ALL ALONG that my kid couldn't hear the sound. He was just responding to the MOVEMENTS of the doctor's arms.
Don't feel guilty about shopping around for the best doctors for your kid.
There's no time, or room for worrying about hurting a doctor's feelings. Do what is best for your kid.
Do get the right tests for your baby.
Request and ABR for more clarification if you have to. Have an actual audiologist do it, not just a tech. Be prepared to ask questions.
Don't bang pots and pans next to your 3 week old's bassinet. *repeat offender*
Trust me. It does NOTHING but make you worry more. You CAN'T change that they can't hear.
Do prepare yourself for long lagtimes between visits, tests, and results.
It happens. No matter where you live. Just be patient. With that being said, take Marielle's Mom's advice too: You also have to fight, fight, fight to get appointments. Be the mom they fear! Call around until you find somone who can see you within a reasonable time.
The secretary at Hopkins and I got to know eachother very well when I called EVERYDAY for Month for Christian!
Do Your Research, and Keep an Open Mind.
Learn about your child's degree of loss. Where do they fall on the Speech Banana? Learn what the Speech Banana is. Research communication options, and don't RULE ANYTHING OUT. I remember feeling how there was NO WAY that my son would use American Sign Language. He was going to speak, and I believed that ASL was NOT going to help him. I'm glad that my husband and I opened our minds and hearts to all of the communication options available. For our family, we chose to use ASL along with spoken English. It works for us. Research what will work for YOUR family.
Don't OVER RESEARCH. *guilty of this as well*
Googling and WebMding "Profound Hearing Loss" everyday, all day won't help. Watching YouTube videos 3 hours straight about kids with Cochlear Implants wont' either. All you'll do is burn yourself out. Take a Break. I enventually did, only after I lost about a week's worth of sleep.
Do make sure you have your county's Early Intervention team in place...EARLY!
It was a very long road to Christian's diagnosis and amplification, and we really didn't get EI involved as soon as I would've liked. The moment you suspect something isn't quite right, CALL THEM.
Don't let your child's hearing loss DEFINE THEM and YOUR FAMILY. *this one's a beauty!*
It took me a long time to stop the never ending chorus of "I have a Deaf Baby. I have a Deaf Baby. I have a Deaf Baby" in my head. For a period of time, I let Christian's hearing loss define him, and I REGRET THAT TOO! It took a good friend to smack me to my senses and help me realize there was so much more to my little man. Sure, he couldn't hear quite as well as us, but other than that he was fine. You'll end up missing the little things, like laughs, giggles, and cuddles.
Do make time for your spouse. *not easy*
When we actually heard the words "Your Son Is Profoundly Deaf", it rocked my world, and it definitely rocked my marriage. Having a new baby already shakes up your world, then couple that with a kid who may have some special needs....wow, it was rough. It's so hard to not take every waking moment to talk about the baby and how he can't hear, what we're going to do about him not hearing, why he's not hearing, etc. My husband and I FELL INTO THAT TRAP. Take a step back. Remind yourselves why you had your beautiful baby to begin with. Take time for eachother. You need eachother now more than ever.
Don't Blame Yourself
I'm a hearing Mommy to a Deaf Baby. I blamed myself everyday for his hearing loss. I tore myself apart thinking that something that I DID caused this. It broke my heart. Then, one day...it clicked. After a serious amount of prayer, I accepted that Christian's loss was completely out of my control. I did everything right during the pregnancy. It just so happens that we carry a gene that just happened to be passed down to our kid. The sleep you lose blaming yourself isn't worth it. Save your energy for your baby.
Finally, DO FIND SUPPORT! *Pediatric Cochlear Implant Circle...sometimes deafread.com*
My husband and I are so lucky to have an amazing family, and a very close group of friends who have been there for us throughout our entire journey. Through their prayers and support, we have been able to stay positive and focus on our family. Let your family and friends know what you need from them. THEY WANT TO HELP.
I found an amazing group of parents at the Listen-Up website who have been such an invaluable resource. We share stories, advice, and most importantly, we support eachother. I STRONGLY urge parents of babies who have been diagnosed with a hearing loss to stop by and visit. It helped us out SO much.
By no means am I an expert when it comes to dealing with Hearing Loss. I certainly have moments everyday where I wonder "Is this right? Am I doing what is right for Christian"? This entire year has been such a learning experience for me. I test my own limits, and patience, just as any other Mom does with young children. I still worry everyday. I learned this year to keep an open mind and an open heart. Most importantly, I learned to let go of the guilt, the fear, and the anger. I learned to enjoy my sweet, silly, and absolutely PERFECT little boy for the child that he is.
*Love, absolutely LOVE Christina*
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Hey Deafread.com - Have You Noticed that Paula is MIA?
Deafread.com has just suffered a MAJOR loss. Behind every powerful female blogger is a WOMAN. If you are a successful businesswoman...you are a BITCH. If a woman accuses date-rape...it was her fault for wearing a thong.
*FTS*
I know that Paula had thought that deafread.com was a safe place to exchange ideas, provide resources and interact in productive dialogue. She is a DEAF powerhouse of information, innovation and inspiration:
Paula founded HearingExchange as an online community for people with hearing loss and their families in September 2000. Its comprehensive message boards provide an open forum for the discussion of ideas and information on hearing loss and related issues. In 2007 the HearingExchange site undewent a re-design and now includes a blog. The HearingExchange blog discusses current news, offers free articles, and numerous resources for people who have hearing loss as well as those who care for them or offer services to assist them. All communication methods and choices should be respected within all areas of HearingExchange. Choices of communication mode and the decision-making related to cochlear implant surgery are not permissible debates. HearingExchange reserves the right to edit or omit inflammatory or derogative posts or comments that are not respectful of the choices of others.
HearingExchange Clarifies Post on Pepsi Super Bowl Ad
5 Tips for Communicating with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults and Children
6 Steps for Resolving School Issues - HearingExchange Syndicated Content
Tween’s Second Cochlear Implant Results Defy Expectations
Family Seeks Speech Pathologist to Work in Spain for Year or More
Pepsi Super Bowl Ad Exploits Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Building Bridges in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities
Dividing Deaf and Hearing Communities - It Takes So Little
Project readOn - Making Captioned Online Videos a Reality for People with Hearing Loss
*You can kiss that girl...goodbye*
Hmmmm. Now that Jamie Berke has just undergone Cochlear Implant Surgery, who knows how deafread.com readers will react?
Personally, I have a thing for women with balls.
*FTS*
I know that Paula had thought that deafread.com was a safe place to exchange ideas, provide resources and interact in productive dialogue. She is a DEAF powerhouse of information, innovation and inspiration:
Paula founded HearingExchange as an online community for people with hearing loss and their families in September 2000. Its comprehensive message boards provide an open forum for the discussion of ideas and information on hearing loss and related issues. In 2007 the HearingExchange site undewent a re-design and now includes a blog. The HearingExchange blog discusses current news, offers free articles, and numerous resources for people who have hearing loss as well as those who care for them or offer services to assist them. All communication methods and choices should be respected within all areas of HearingExchange. Choices of communication mode and the decision-making related to cochlear implant surgery are not permissible debates. HearingExchange reserves the right to edit or omit inflammatory or derogative posts or comments that are not respectful of the choices of others.
HearingExchange Clarifies Post on Pepsi Super Bowl Ad
5 Tips for Communicating with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults and Children
6 Steps for Resolving School Issues - HearingExchange Syndicated Content
Tween’s Second Cochlear Implant Results Defy Expectations
Family Seeks Speech Pathologist to Work in Spain for Year or More
Pepsi Super Bowl Ad Exploits Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Building Bridges in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities
Dividing Deaf and Hearing Communities - It Takes So Little
Project readOn - Making Captioned Online Videos a Reality for People with Hearing Loss
*You can kiss that girl...goodbye*
Hmmmm. Now that Jamie Berke has just undergone Cochlear Implant Surgery, who knows how deafread.com readers will react?
Personally, I have a thing for women with balls.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
AGBAD VS. GONAD...GROW UP...For the Kids!
Hmmmmm. AgBAD
Hmmmmm. GONAD
*shrugging, licking lips and kicking thrown stones to the curb*
It's not about slinging mud...it's about this (Christian and Christina):
"Check out the video I took of him in the pit, saying AND signing BALL!"
And this...(Gage teaching Brook)
And this...(Drew!)
And this...
It's NOT about this:
*or*
This:
The NAD letter impressed me, and I sincerely hope that NAD and AgBell take it to the table to create a productive dialogue for our kids.
Hmmmmm. GONAD
*shrugging, licking lips and kicking thrown stones to the curb*
It's not about slinging mud...it's about this (Christian and Christina):
"Check out the video I took of him in the pit, saying AND signing BALL!"
And this...(Gage teaching Brook)
And this...(Drew!)
And this...
It's NOT about this:
*or*
This:
The NAD letter impressed me, and I sincerely hope that NAD and AgBell take it to the table to create a productive dialogue for our kids.
Friday, February 8, 2008
RE: NAD Responds to AgBell
In the NAD President's Blog, Bobbie Beth Scoggins writes:
We know that this is not the first time that AGBell has reacted in this manner to high-profile use of ASL, which AGBell may perceive as detracting from its exclusive focus on speaking and listening.
When we began our journey using the oral approach with Jordan, he wore hearing aids and we were told this buzz phrase that scared the shit out of me, so no, I did not go that extra mile to learn LIS. Also because as I've said before the language barrier with Italian was more than enough for my stressed out mind to handle. Also... couldn't find many Deaf role models around Grosseto, just a seventeen year old here and there who brought the sign language alphabet card with a stuffed animal to our dinner table asking for money because he was Deaf. I refused to see my son's life in that way and was so angry that another Deaf person was condemned to that life.
Jordan struggled with hearing aids for eight years. He was successful to a certain degree, but very, very frustrated
*He is not frustrated at all with his cochlear implant*
It's so ironic. Because I truly believe that cochlear implants give a baby enough hearing from the beginning so as to dispel that "buzz phrase" and allow that child to incorporate sign without having to worry that such sign would interfere in his/her successful speech development process. This is a key point to acknowledge in reaching some type of compromise in this dialogue - not war- dialogue...
NAD seems to accept cochlear implants in their letter:
We welcome all people who value ASL, and we promote opportunities for the acquisition and use of ASL in addition to English in its various forms, with or without the use of hearing technologies, to enable successful participation in all aspects of American society, including the deaf community.
...The premise being that the child is Deaf without the ci, so the child should learn ASL; the child is "hearing" with the ci, so av therapy is necessary to stimulate speech and language development. Obviously what I am saying pertains to profoundly deaf ci candidates, but isn't that what this is about anyway? Those kids who are profoundly deaf? If this is the premise for a program of action, this would mean that the Deaf community would have to accept the ci as a valid option in approaches to Deafness and AgBell would have to formally incorporate the use of ASL in its objectives. There needs to be some logical basis...not just passion for one side or another.
In any case, I thought the NAD letter was very well-written:
In the view of the NAD, every deaf person has a unique place in American society, with basic human rights with respect to identity, cultural affiliation, and self-expression. This viewpoint, with emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness, forms the foundation for our existence as an organization and as a community.
We expect the same respect from AGBell on behalf of the community we represent.
Their point was...Loud and Clear.
We know that this is not the first time that AGBell has reacted in this manner to high-profile use of ASL, which AGBell may perceive as detracting from its exclusive focus on speaking and listening.
When we began our journey using the oral approach with Jordan, he wore hearing aids and we were told this buzz phrase that scared the shit out of me, so no, I did not go that extra mile to learn LIS. Also because as I've said before the language barrier with Italian was more than enough for my stressed out mind to handle. Also... couldn't find many Deaf role models around Grosseto, just a seventeen year old here and there who brought the sign language alphabet card with a stuffed animal to our dinner table asking for money because he was Deaf. I refused to see my son's life in that way and was so angry that another Deaf person was condemned to that life.
Jordan struggled with hearing aids for eight years. He was successful to a certain degree, but very, very frustrated
*He is not frustrated at all with his cochlear implant*
It's so ironic. Because I truly believe that cochlear implants give a baby enough hearing from the beginning so as to dispel that "buzz phrase" and allow that child to incorporate sign without having to worry that such sign would interfere in his/her successful speech development process. This is a key point to acknowledge in reaching some type of compromise in this dialogue - not war- dialogue...
NAD seems to accept cochlear implants in their letter:
We welcome all people who value ASL, and we promote opportunities for the acquisition and use of ASL in addition to English in its various forms, with or without the use of hearing technologies, to enable successful participation in all aspects of American society, including the deaf community.
...The premise being that the child is Deaf without the ci, so the child should learn ASL; the child is "hearing" with the ci, so av therapy is necessary to stimulate speech and language development. Obviously what I am saying pertains to profoundly deaf ci candidates, but isn't that what this is about anyway? Those kids who are profoundly deaf? If this is the premise for a program of action, this would mean that the Deaf community would have to accept the ci as a valid option in approaches to Deafness and AgBell would have to formally incorporate the use of ASL in its objectives. There needs to be some logical basis...not just passion for one side or another.
In any case, I thought the NAD letter was very well-written:
In the view of the NAD, every deaf person has a unique place in American society, with basic human rights with respect to identity, cultural affiliation, and self-expression. This viewpoint, with emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness, forms the foundation for our existence as an organization and as a community.
We expect the same respect from AGBell on behalf of the community we represent.
Their point was...Loud and Clear.
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