- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 3,418
- Reaction score
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I was waiting on line at L.L.Bean this morning when Li tugged at my arm and whispered "awesome, look at that!" I swiveled around and was trying to figure out who or what was so awesome, and she piped up with "excuse me, where did you get those" -- looking up at the back of the distinguished looking gentleman in front of us.
He turned around to see who had spoken. "I have those!" Li said to him, and he was equally delighted when he saw her easy-to-spot leopard print covered processors atop her head and showed off his 2 beige processors. This elderly gentleman and my 6 year old chattered for about 5-10 minutes, comparing their cochlear implants. His first, from 1998, and a newer one from a couple of years ago enabled him to hear the little voice calling him from behind, and hers made such chit chat in a crowded store effortless.
His son also has 2 CIs, as does his grandson: three generations of deaf with CIs! He mentioned that the second makes a world of difference, that with one he really couldn't follow a conversation or know if someone was talking to him unless they were close and straight ahead, but with 2, it's no problem at all.
Li grilled him about Florida -- where he'd gotten his CIs, told him she thought his CIs were "awesome" and he absolutely beamed. I was astounded, not only at how forward my usually shy daughter was -- she must truly feel a kinship based on the shared CI experience -- but at the ease with which the two chatted. Was just a really nice moment I thought I'd share.
He turned around to see who had spoken. "I have those!" Li said to him, and he was equally delighted when he saw her easy-to-spot leopard print covered processors atop her head and showed off his 2 beige processors. This elderly gentleman and my 6 year old chattered for about 5-10 minutes, comparing their cochlear implants. His first, from 1998, and a newer one from a couple of years ago enabled him to hear the little voice calling him from behind, and hers made such chit chat in a crowded store effortless.
His son also has 2 CIs, as does his grandson: three generations of deaf with CIs! He mentioned that the second makes a world of difference, that with one he really couldn't follow a conversation or know if someone was talking to him unless they were close and straight ahead, but with 2, it's no problem at all.
Li grilled him about Florida -- where he'd gotten his CIs, told him she thought his CIs were "awesome" and he absolutely beamed. I was astounded, not only at how forward my usually shy daughter was -- she must truly feel a kinship based on the shared CI experience -- but at the ease with which the two chatted. Was just a really nice moment I thought I'd share.
Sounds like you guys are raising a confident little person, and I'm glad she was able to make a connection to someone who would have otherwise been unknown. A special kinship indeed.