The first time I told a stranger I had hearing loss was in a Bible study 13 years ago. As a first-time attendee with a new set of behind-the-ear hearing aids, I mostly kept quiet and tried not to draw attention to myself. My hair was long, and I covered my ears (and hearing aids) … Continue reading
Filed under Lipreading Mom’s Confessions …
What I Found In My 20-Year-Old Time Capsule
On April 19, 1995, I piled into the back of an old Chevy along with four other small-town newspaper reporters and made the 45-minute drive into Oklahoma City. It was dark when we arrived at the city’s downtown. The first thing I noticed was the enormous gaping hole of a federal building illuminated by floodlights. … Continue reading
The Three ‘C’s of Being a Working Mom
Blog friends, it has been several weeks since I last posted—and with good reason. Need a hint? It begins with a ‘J’ and ends with a ‘B.’ My J-O-B keeps me busier than I have been in 12 years. For the past decade, I paused my work life to become a stay-at-home mom. While that … Continue reading
When You Call Me a Hurtful Nickname
This week, a child who I don’t know very well called me a hurtful name, ‘Deaf F—–‘ (Rhymes with Maggot).’ Instead of staying upset at him (he later apologized), I wrote “The Power of a Name.” You are welcome to share this with anyone you think it may help. THE POWER OF A NAME Before … Continue reading
How Robin Williams Taught Me to ‘Seize the Day’
Twenty-five years ago this summer, I sat in a packed Texas movie theater with a high school friend. The movie was Dead Poet’s Society, and in it, the late actor Robin Williams’ character teaches Literature at an all-boy’s prep school in the 1950s. To engage his students who had been previously taught to embrace conformity and … Continue reading
Don’t Ever Read Lips While Driving…Trust Me!
Driving and I don’t always get along. I admit that I should pay better attention to my motoring skills. From the scrape on the passenger door of my mini-van to the cracked bumper, I have participated in enough fender-benders to keep my insurance agent in business. Would it be okay to blame the inattentive driving … Continue reading
Why Is It So Hard for Me to Listen?
“Because I have hearing loss.” That would be the simplest way to answer my question. For years, I have struggled with taking the time to listen when others are talking with me. If a friend has a problem and needs a listening ear, I can focus for a minute or two, and then my mind … Continue reading
I Will Miss You, Maya
Weeks after my second child was born, I was in the throes of a horrible postpartum depression. Something motivated me to pick up a copy of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the memoir of author and poet Maya Angelou. In the book, Maya shares about growing up in racially segregated Arkansas and how … Continue reading
The True Story of How Show Me Your Ears Began
The birth of Show Me Your Ears took place in my minivan. While sitting in the car outside my hearing aid provider’s office last year, I reeled with painful emotions. A hearing test revealed my deepest fear: I had lost more hearing. Worse yet, the hearing aids I wore were no longer powerful enough to … Continue reading
Do You Have a Fear of Failure?
I recently read a story about a woman who was afraid to jump off a cliff as part of a thrill-seeking group activity. The thought of jumping off anything, let alone a cliff, sends terror chills down my spine. You can read the story here. Since childhood, I have had a fear of leaping off … Continue reading
