I'm Not Deaf, But....

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backstage108

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Hi everyone. I'm a playwright/writer and was embarking on a stage play about a young deaf woman and so was surfing the web looking for info about the world of the deaf. I came across this website, alldeaf.com. So I'm very curious about all this.

But more importantly, apart from writing, and since I am also Krishna conscious, (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) I was wondering if anyone out there knows about this Eastern philosophy as well. I'm deeply into metaphysics and spiritual things.

Anyway, I would love hearing from those who would like to share info regarding:
1. Deaf at birth? What were the emotional aspects? Psychological?
2. Speech patterns in general
3. Total Deafness coming after so many years of hearing. For example, becoming deaf in teen-age years suddenly.

I know the subject is very vast and I'm kind of groping in the dark. Or maybe there are other websites where one can get info on various topics of this nature.

The play I am attempting to write is of a supernatural nature involving this young woman who, born deaf, regains her hearing after a mystical encounter but the story is a probe into people's attitudes, beliefs etc. as well as thier fears. Hope to hear from you.
 
Hello there,

It's nice to meet a playwritter, Welcome to AD and enjoy your stay here ;)

No, I wasn't born deaf, I lost my hearing at the age of 5 slowly due from illness, I was hoh until I reach my high school years, then I wasn't able to hear quite well as I used to.....My speech is like a hearing person but there are some words I'm unable to say clearly as words I don't often use..I also took speech class through out my childhood years :)
 
Angel, that's a great picture

Thanks for the reply. Yes, there are angels. In Sanskrit the word is "devas". I see, you lost your hearing from age 5. In this play I'm writing, I think I will open with ASL. Do you use that at all? Just curious.
 
:wave: :welcome: Backstage108, it's nice to have you with us at AD. I hope you enjoy your stay here. I am not deaf, I am hearing, but, both my parent's are deaf and the deaf are my second family.

I wish you so much good luck in your play when it's written. Look forward to your postings!!! Have a wonderful day!!! :angel:
 
backstage108 said:
I was wondering if anyone out there knows about this Eastern philosophy as well. I'm deeply into metaphysics and spiritual things.

1. Deaf at birth? What were the emotional aspects? Psychological?
2. Speech patterns in general
3. Total Deafness coming after so many years of hearing. For example, becoming deaf in teen-age years suddenly.

The play I am attempting to write is of a supernatural nature involving this young woman who, born deaf, regains her hearing after a mystical encounter but the story is a probe into people's attitudes, beliefs etc. as well as thier fears. Hope to hear from you.
Click to expand...

Welcome to AD :)

I am deeply into spiritual things and metaphysics but do not know much about Krishna consciousness though.

I was born deaf. I guess that emotional aspect was that my father did not want anything to do with me so he abandoned me when I was six months old along with my 2 year old deaf brother. That scar has never been healed.

I grew up using speech and lipreading but am fluent in ASL now after stumbling across ASL in late 20s.

I cannot relate to others who became late deafened for they know what they are missing and grieve much more than I do.

Good luck with your play writing :)
 
I suggest you look into ToM (Theory of Mind) to get a better picture of those who are deaf at birth. It might help.
 
backstage108 said:
Thanks for the reply. Yes, there are angels. In Sanskrit the word is "devas". I see, you lost your hearing from age 5. In this play I'm writing, I think I will open with ASL. Do you use that at all? Just curious.
Click to expand...

Aw Thanks! :mrgreen: ...

Yes I still use ASL, I learn ASL very late during my high school years, I grew up by learning to speak by attending speech class and also I learned lipreading too....

Even through I learn all the signs until I reach my high school years but I was a quick learner, it didn't take me too long to know them all! I admit it was fun learning and signing along with my friends and my classmates! :mrgreen:
 
Hi Backstage, first of all I'd like to welcome you to AD.

I was born deaf (unknown), my parents were freaking out, of course, not knowing what to do with a "deaf" child. I was told by one of my relatives that my father didn't really want to have anything to do with me. My mother and grandparents were very anxious to get all the help by speaking and being able to hear.

At 9 months old, I wore my very first hearing aids and hated it not that I remember it. I started going to a speech therapy to improve my speech which helped a lot. (in that case, my parents refused to do sign language due to lack of speaking) I had proven that I'm just like everyone else as humans. My father realized that then "I can do anything".

I even went to a school thru Vocational Rehabilitation to learn oral and pick up different sounds. I learned to lipread and became very reliable to it.

Throughout school, I became very involved in sports with hearing so I pretty much had so many hearing friends that helped me thru also. I had very little friends that were deaf and they were also into oral and lipreading. By the time I got to High School, I tried to learn sign language but was forbidden to use it (teacher's rules). After I graduated, I was encouraged by deaf friends to hang out more with them and learn what it's like to be in the deaf world and I love it! I felt very much a part of them because I'm deaf myself.

I went to Gallaudet for one semester, it sure was totally different from the hearing world. I had improved my signs and became fluent in ASL. My speech and hearing has plummeted. My family wasn't too happy with that but I had explained to them that when they see a group of my deaf friends, did they understand what we said, they said no.. So I, viced versa, told them I was basically in their world my whole life not understanding most of their conversations and was left out. They just gulped and never bother to change me again. They realized I'm more happier in my world than the hearings.

As of now, I'm still using oral (not perfect), but rely on ASL and lipreading.
 
Rebelgirl and all others. Thanks!

Gee, so nice to hear from you all. Very fascinating. Reading all these different stories is giving me more fodder so to speak, and may even change the dynamic of my play.

Writing is a remarkable gift. I started writing when I was 30 years old. I always loved film and would practically live in a movie theatres as a child. My family life was very stressful and I suffered some physical and emotional abuse. Now I am much older, 59, and have learned so many things.

As human beings we are all evolving through "consciousness." That is, a higher spiritual awareness. The world of the deaf, blind etc. has always been a mystery to most people, a kind of subculture. When I was a child growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, I would have to walk by a school that I was told was the school for the deaf and to me it was something spooky or mysterious. You know how children are. Anyway, I only write stories based on inspiration. I wrote a screenplay/stage play called "Hopi Rain" about a woman's odyssey of self-discovery after the suicide death of her young son. The woman in the story is a documentary filmmaker and of course, the story is very emotional. Love found and lost, redemption, faith and hope, all the great themes that one finds in the greatest novels I suppose.

Since I write primarily on inspiration, I've been thinking about a young woman who may have been born deaf or became deaf and then comes home one day and because of a vision she had, she not only regains her full hearing, but was told that the world is coming to an end. This creates fear in the local townspeople and they react in various ways. Did the woman see an angel? An alien? So, I'm just throwing out thoughts as I put the story together and naturally, the story has conflict and how people behave, much like the film "Dogville" which I thought was a brilliant but very disturbing film although I suppose in one sense it is a very pessimistic view of the human condition.

According to the ancient Vedic texts in Sanskrit from India, we are now entering a 10,000 year "golden age" in which we will have harmony worlwide and peace. These things come in cycles throughout earth's billions of years. Anyway, I could go on forever, but I really am pleased reading everyone's responses and look forward to communicating with you all.

Wallace
 
Meg: Hi again. yes, I'm very sorry to hear of you father and the scars which you have. I had a somewhat abusive childhood myself. We may not know why things happen "karmically" the wat they do in life. Why some people live and some dies young, why some people are poor and others are rich etc. I suppose on the the greatest things one can do is be able to forgive and this was Jesus's teaching but I must admit, some pain never goes away and I myself, grapple with the ability to forgive my father for the pain he caused my brother and I also. This material world consisting of birth and death is not a happy place, lots of suffering, but if we can remain spiritual then that's the path we should traverse.
 
Hello &
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Welcome to AD and enjoy these posts!!!

I was born hearing then I was becoming hard of hearing when I was 3 year old and I became deaf age of 7 (hearing loss).
 
Hey backstage!! :)

Hi, my name is Kayla Anderson, nice to meet ya!! I was born deaf but the doctor don't know what cause from that. But I am working hard on my speech, you wouldn't believe that I'm actually deaf. I also lip-reading and sign language. The doctor thought I wouldn't get past third grade reading level and they were wrong!! lol um.. anything else you would like to know about me just ask me anything u want. well i hope i'll hear from u soon if u don't mind. :)
 
Hi, Kayla

Hello: Thanks for the message. I can't think of anything to ask, oh, I was thinking about some stage plays they do at a school for the deaf that fascinated me. Apparently, students perform in the play and then there is a vocal interpreter or something. I was thinking of going sometime just to see what it's all about. I have their website but will look it up and post it. I know one of the playwrights who did a play ther recently.
 
Herzlich Willkommen zu AD

Come and share your posts here with us :thumb:


I born deafness due rubella. My mother got german measles when she was 3 months pregnant with me.
 
I love the dolphins...

Hi. Dolphins are such beautiful creatures. very spiritual. It's horrible to think that they also have been murdered by man. In this respect, read my latest posting. I talk about how we will evolve into a spiritual species and are entering a 10,000 year golden age. yes, this is true. It is all coming from India. Stay tuned.
 
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