Waukesha Deaf Organization

Hey! Did you know that there are some people who can't hear (are deaf ) who have adopted a positive attitude toward their deafness. They choose to notice the advantages to their deafness. I once overheard Kathy's daughter Keegan sharing this fact from a class entitled Deaf Culture with a Deaf woman at the university she attended (Brigham Young University). The professor was married to a hearing man and had hearing children. She said that an alarm went off in their town by accident and took some time to turn off. It was driving her husband crazy, but this woman wasn't fazed at all. When it was time for bed? Well, no problem, she could drift off into dreamland undisturbed, while her husband was miserable. Another major bonus she shared? Bickering children are always on mute. Ah, the peace of a quiet household. I suppose there are days that she would be glad not to hear the noise level at the GEE Funny Farm -- that Isaac is always talking or whistling.

[Note: You may not have known that there was such a thing as Deaf Culture. Or you may have thought that people who can't hear would prefer to be called hard-of-hearing rather than Deaf. Well, it just so happens that many people in the United States (and around the world) take pride in their identity as Deaf and prefer to think of themselves as who they are (deaf) rather than as who they are not (as in "not hearing"). Those who choose to identify themselves in this way participate in a language (American Sign Language) and a culture with rules and guidelines and expectations. And while some people would prefer to be called "hard-of-hearing," there are many, many people who would prefer to be called "Deaf" (capital "D"). A site you might check out is called www.deafculture.com. -- Heh. We weren't kidding about this educational experiences thing now were we? *Wink*Wink*)

Why did I share the previous anecdote? Well, when the Waukesha Deaf Organization visited, Isaac pointed out how glad these folks must have been not to have to hear MY silky tones. Issac thinks he's so funny -- well, he's not! The fact of the matter is, I'm generally quite well-mannered and soft-spoken . . . when I'm the center of attention (no winking involved here!).

Members of the Waukesha Deaf Organization visited us back in June. Arriving at the Gee Funny Farm was a little tricky because this summer Highway 83 (where we are located) was Construction Central, but for those who made it, they were awed and amazed by my dazzling performance (as always). And they may have been pleasantly interested in one or two other things like the bottle fed Navajo churro lamb, Keturah. Ugh -- those babies steal a lot of the attention that is meant for ME! Oh, and one person about had heart failure when Abish, the green aracari toucan landed on him - well, he'd been warned! I stay on MY perch unless someone offers me a hand...

. . . All right, the fact of the matter is, after time passes, I do tend to forget about everything that happened that doesn't involve me. So sue me. Playing catch up isn't my strong point. I'll keep up better in the future.