An unusual letter

I know this might sound silly to some of you....probably all of you. I also don't know if this question applies more to those who weren't born deaf or not. If you were writing a letter to "deaf" (as though 'deaf' is a person) what would you put? What is deafness (I don't mean a dictionary's definition ie 'being unable to hear') - is it for example the bird no longer outside your window every morning? Is it not being able to hear your baby's first cry? Is it the bliss of not having your next door neighbours pneumatic drill wake you in the early hours? Not the best examples I know. Would your letter include words of distress, mourning, anger, confusion, compassion, pride, joy etc?

It's a bit of a long story why I am doing this (but I'm willing to share should anyone feel they need to know more) and I'm hoping it could have a positive effect on me.

Thank you!

next door neighbours drill vibrates so somethings still get annoyed with...sorry hunny but you not to clear to me...I was born hearing deaf sudden ..the words you use no I would not use them now but this years since deaf..i was depressed when it happened to the point I needed help..confusion if you mean it took getting use to I needed various help and stratergy...Now I just think shyt happens no reason feel any of the things you written but I don't know your contex are you referring to child adult etc...no two people think or feel the same and got be careful not to patronize or condescend.know your contex better understanding

Well..if I were writing a letter to "Dear Deaf"...(which I never have)...probably would say I'm thankful to not having to listen to all the bullshyt that goes on today...not having to listen to people's colorful language that irritates me to no end....not having to listen to verbal arguments....the screams of the suffering....outside noises that would keep me awake all night....thankful that I can rest in peace and know what silence there is within...giving me better options to think and mull over things (not overthinking)...and knowing silence is golden at times....

Deaf is more concrete thinking and expressive.

ASL poetry may give more room for flights of fancy, but this seems like a hearing person's exercise.

And deaf doesn't mean any sorrow to me. It means I am more introspective and a lot smarter. A good observer and analyst of human behavior and motivation.

Stephanie Ellison
321 Ignition Sequence Started
Mission Lift Off, Wrong State, Wrong Country

Deaf
567 Mission Aborted
In pieces, International Waters, Pacific Ocean

Dear Deaf, July 18, 2015

I can sleep through anything. Well, except for thunder that would knock a hammer on your chest, deaf or not. If a neighbor is mowing the yard (out here, it's over an acre, so 2-3 hours?) or I need to meditate, "eeep" goes the remote. If I'm driving in my Jeep Wrangler for some distance, ditto. I sleep VERY WELL when I can.

However, it sure would be nice to be able to progress beyond a cave woman's state by being able to hear what is on the radio or eavesdropping on conversations between couples in order to UNDERSTAND just what one is supposed to do on a date or further along in a relationship, and participate in chaotic group sessions without an interpreter (because you NEVER get a word in edge-wise). In certain circumstances, in dicey situations, I'm left sleeping with one eye open (just like a cave woman) because I can't be warned of animals or people who might try to come in and harm me. Even a gun under a pillow won't help me. Sometimes, the silence is so "deafening" and that I'm awake at night, aware of the fact that I'm aware that I'm awake because I'm aware of something that has directed my attention towards awareness of something.

However, maybe this is an opportunity for me to work on within this life issues related to anger in which I used a sound technique in meditation in another life, and for some reason, it didn't work right, which caused me to be angry and turn away from the world. Maybe this is a way for me to reach liberation. Maybe deafness provided a way to keep normal "hub-bub" distractions from taking me from my goal, which I could sense, but didn't know what it was, from the time my memories started forming permanently.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Ellison

i guess only you know the person you writing to...are you actually writing a letter or you using writing as example of asking deaf person how they feel and what should your response be...if they gone deaf suddenly don't say to them how you feel not hearing birds sing or baby cry or pride and joy in being deaf my response back then may have floored you...Now i don't care i accept people can be kind and crass at sametime that life hunny

This is a pretty interesting question and reading the responses so far is interesting too. It seems like it's seen as a silly question to most people who were born deaf or early deafened. Sort of like asking any human to write a letter to the wings they were born without. Seems silly... but then, thinking about it, I could probably write about the wings I was born without. It'd make for some interesting thoughts actually.

To a late deafened or HOH person, this exercise might be helpful for self-realization and acceptance. As a HOH person who may or may not have sound in his future, it's an interesting thing to think about, writing to deaf. My letter would be pretty positive, talking about how this has opened a new world to me. But I'd probably also write about the things I will/already miss too, my wife's laugh, music, that sound a water drop makes, being able to just know what a conversation is about without really concentrating.

Then for a hearing person, it could be an exercise to help relate to d/Deaf/HOH.