Andrew Garcia2 said:redmarlin3, I got some kind of error so I'm responding like this... you're from a big city like Chicago, I assume? Growing up, I was the only hard-of-hearing kid in my elementary school, and I'm still the only one in high school, except for one guy who is deaf, but he's graduating soon anyway. How did people socialize in your circles? I've always been a bit of an outsider, but being the only one meant I was constantly picked on, so it's no wonder.😁 bluewalker33, I get why she acts that way, but I still don't get why her close friends would treat me differently or look at me differently because of it... I don't experience it that way. Maybe I haven't truly put myself in her shoes, either. Because of my hearing loss, people actually pushed me twice as hard to study and work, though honestly, most of that depends on me. I don't go looking for special treatment or perks despite the handicap; I just try my best to achieve whatever I can. It's different from some people who are hard-of-hearing and just claim they can't do anything, constantly complaining about how hard it is. When things get tough for me—because there are days when the frustration over my hearing just builds up—I still don't go around whining. There's no point, and nobody would understand anyway.🙂
Yap, NYC. 🙂 As for socialization, I don't think it went particularly well. See, deaf kids would head straight to the FBI after school for daycare, so they didn't really hang out with the rest of us much. They mostly just stuck together with the other deaf kids.
Andrew Garcia2 said:Really? And how does she manage? It's honestly so good to hear about examples like that.🙂
So, I actually met her during a teacher certification course—you know, that one everyone with an engineering degree has to pass to get licensed—and she already had a job lined up back then. She just needed to clear that exam to secure her permanent contract. Honestly, kill me now, but I can't quite remember her exact subject... I think it was math. 🤔
My elementary school used some kind of integrated program with the local services for the deaf, so there were always a few kids in every class who were deaf or hard of hearing. Because of that, we all grew up communicating and hanging out with them from day one; they never felt "different" to us at all. We even learned how to finger-spell using sign language 😁. I can't believe I still remember that... 🤣
Regarding what happened with your mom 👎... I can't believe it. No wonder you aren't exactly the optimist type. 🙂 And yeah, you're right; having the drive and the actual ability is what matters most. 😉
Yeah, well, I did a little digging on Google just now; it turns out not all white cats are deaf (they say it's around 80%), and if they have blue eyes, the odds go up significantly. But it’s not a hard rule—a white cat can definitely be deaf without having those blue eyes... 🤷
Look, moss isn't exactly the most reliable indicator anyway. Around here in the States, you usually see it creeping up pretty much the entire length of the trunk... 😁
Your spatial intelligence is relatively low. It’s really not a big deal. It’s kind of like saying you aren't great at math. 🙂 But even math can be mastered—and strengthened—provided you put in the work. 😉
Personally, my spatial awareness is freaking awesome 😁 I only need to walk through a place once to memorize the route, and I can find my way back without any issues. But honestly, I catch myself doing things all the time, often subconsciously, just to keep my skills sharp. Here are a few tips:
-> Pay attention to the position of the sun—first in your own house or apartment, then in your neighborhood, and eventually over a wider area. It’s always easier to navigate when you have at least a basic grasp of the cardinal directions. At high noon, for instance, the shadows point north. 😉
-> "Read" maps. Any kind. School atlases, city layouts, Google Maps... Pay attention to place names and how they relate to one another spatially. Look at which direction the roads run. Pick a route on a map and trace it with your finger. Find alternative ways to get from point A to point B right there on the page. Just play around with it; maps are actually pretty fascinating tools. 😍
-> When you're walking around, pay attention to the little details. Everyone notices different things. Someone might see a massive billboard featuring a model, someone else sees a dive bar with a ridiculous name, and another person spots a huge cypress tree. It doesn't matter what it is; the point is that you'll recognize that specific detail the next time you pass by.
-> Driving is probably a nightmare. I say "probably" because I don't drive. The only useful advice I can give is that I've seen GPS devices on sale ($267) at places like Walmart. 😁 They're great tools and incredibly helpful even for people who are naturally good at navigating. For you, I reckon it would be a lifesaver. 😬
-> When you're indoors, take a second to process your surroundings. Try to visualize the space from the outside. Think about where south or east would be in that moment, for example. Then, try to picture where your apartment or office is located in relation to that room. How far away are they? What would be the fastest way back home if, I don't know, your mom called saying she left the stove on? 😬 Just let your imagination run a bit.
-> Talk to your friends by describing routes to them. Try to use as many factual descriptions as possible (turn right, head south, wide street, blue building, the "Moon" cafe with the green awning, about a hundred yards, far away...).
Anyway, I hope this helps. 🙂 If I think of anything else, I'll post it. 🙂
Andrew Garcia2 said:Yeah, but that's mostly just on paper... the reality is a lot different. I have significant hearing loss, and honestly, I dealt with quite a bit of bullying growing up because of it. In this country, people with hearing impairments are basically pigeonholed into service jobs. It feels like there's almost no one out there who is deaf or hard of hearing but actually holds a high-level professional role. People finish their degrees, they work incredibly hard, but the American public just ignores them. Most people don't get it; they just see a disability. But I feel like we're just people, just like everyone else. My hearing loss wouldn't even be much of an issue if there were people who actually understood—people who would value me based on my actual skills rather than how well I can hear. I'm young, but my hearing is pretty bad, and in a few years, I'll probably be completely deaf. I'm already trying to prepare myself for the uphill battle of just finding a job. Because let’s be real... if even young, healthy, highly qualified people are struggling to find work, what chance do I have?
Look, just some encouragement here: I know a woman who is hard of hearing and she works as a high school teacher. 🙂 Something will turn up eventually, sooner or later...
bluewalker33 said:It honestly surprises me that you went with such a basic handle... I was actually shocked nobody snatched it up before me since it's just so plain and unoriginal 🙂
I can't even wrap my head around this question because I hear way too much. I’d have to be completely deaf to understand how they process all of this or how they keep it all straight in their heads. No matter how you look at it, they see images instead of letters—it's about grasping the core concept. They don't need voices to interpret every single symbol
But it’s actually pretty clever and funny once you realize the person behind it has some hearing issues. 🙂
[In case anyone missed this back-and-forth—all white cats are deaf. 😁 It's just in the genes. 😁]
bluewalker33, you seriously have the best handle on this entire forum. I actually lost it when I first saw it. 🤣 🙏 🙏 🙏
Anyway. Are we all certain that everyone actually "hears" the words they read in their head? Like, as a sound, for example? Because me, honestly, I could spend all day reading, but I don't hear a single thing, I swear... 🤷
Does anyone happen to know if there’s a pedestrian walkway along Broadway heading toward Brooklyn? (specifically getting toward the Walmart and Target area, if I remember correctly). 😲 Seriously, though, I am dead set on NOT driving through those service roads 🤷 and taking detours just isn't worth my time since I live right off Broadway... plus, I don't know that part of town well enough to navigate my way through Times Square and over to Houston without getting lost.
Not even getting into the core point of this thread (even though I’m on board with it), I just wanted to properly 😬 respond to this eight-line signature, but I honestly can't find it 😕 🤷 In other words, there isn't a single sign of a signature 🤷
I don't know, I spent years on Lies, posting thousands of times under this exact same handle—the one my boyfriend and all my friends have known me by forever. Then, maybe a year or two ago, I just got bored. It was the same recycled topics over and over again, filled with the same handful of people (most of whom I found pretty dull) and a massive sea of random nobodies and clones; so, I just moved on. Besides, a lot of what they talk about on Lies—specifically the stuff I actually care about, unlike the constant bootlicking or the endless obsession with teenage dick sizes—is covered on other subforums like USA, ZUD, and especially ZK. The crowd there is completely different, and the whole vibe is totally different too. I get the feeling that Lies is just one of those subforums that most long-term users eventually outgrow... Either that, or they just start cloning themselves 🤷 but honestly, screw that. 😉
Any innocent outsider walking into a subforum fueled by pure mob mentality is going to be treated like the biggest psycho on the planet. I’d put Beauty, Pregnancy, and Weddings right at the top of that list. Some might even throw in the Women's Corner, though I wouldn't go that far... 😁
Beyond that, you have forums built on beliefs that aren't exactly easy to verify, yet they create this intense, insular cohesion among members. Think things like Alternative Lifestyle or Religion.
Then there are the "psycho" forums that basically weaponize people's worst impulses, feeding into aggression and low-level tribalism. That would be Politics.
I could honestly ramble on like this forever until every single PDF on the site was dissected. But I won't... 😁
I'll just leave you with this: the one forum where the users are actually the least likely to act insane sits quietly under the Recreation section, and it's called Hiking. 🙂