Today begins a journey into a series of new art works revolving around being #hardofhearing and #deaf
I have lived between both of these realities for my whole life. With out hearing aids I do not hear any sound, with them I can hear about 20% depending on where I am. (Cities are very noisy, obviously) Though my level of loss is degenerative, and aging plays a role, the next 5-10 years should be interesting.
I want to start this off by admitting that most of my life has been spent pretending that “I was not deaf ”. Too many years have gone by. now Its time to take responsibility for this, embrace and heal. I am here to share and tell my story and hopefully use it as a tool of awareness to connect and help others who also know this space too well.
The animated gif above has been created to illustrate the endless stop and go like cycle and struggle of trying to hear and overcompensate for the “what I am not able to hear, ” hearing part. An animated GIF works perfectly to display the infinite loop of daily occurrences. Plus, animated GIFs are soundless. The sleepy eyes of the tired hearing aid reveals its face… it is exhausting and often difficult to manage the emotions that go along with this cycle in real-time. You probably have never noticed this before. I have thought over and over and long and hard about how this series of works should start. Im done with that and jumping in. Images were taken and re-rendered from the public domain. This is a metaphor – can you understand why I did that? communication is everything when you are missing more than half of all the “sounds” in your day to day reality.
Much more to come. Feel free to ask me any questions.
I am not sure how to react or what to say. I have read your post and sit here reviewing my interactions with you on google hangouts and never once noticing that extra effort you had to make to enable us to communicate. I don’t want to write any platitude, so I will end here and say I am thinking about this and already wondering how the gift of the soundless gif will give voice to this part of your personal story.
HA! I read Lips! :)))) And wonderful Energy, much like yours! Thank You!! :)))
Way to go Sqwo Brother
May your ART & WORDS expand the Space of Silence to New realms of AWARENESS 🦋
Thanks so much Jeanne :)))
I do not have trouble hearing but also miss a lot of communication in social interaction with others. It is difficult for me to process in the time most people expect and I can not talk beyond the automatic responses. i was surprised to read your blog as you speak so well and share such great ideas with me.
David
Thanks so much David! We have much in common man! I am grateful for your comments and feedback. I learned to speak with great practice and by carefully observing my fellow human beings! :))