"Go Play!"

Some years ago, I wrote this poem as I like to write poems occasionally...and for me to share this with others, especially with the hearing world. "Why the hearing world?" you might ask...to help them be more aware and be more sensitive...to teach their children to be sensitive with their neighbors, relatives, classmates, etc, especially the little ones. Some are ignorant and didn't know any better, we, the Deaf people, need to share with them...to teach them to be more kinder to all humankind, no matter what disability any of us have. I do not consider my deafness a disability but a blessing in disguise, for I've learned and grown so much, kinder and more sensitive to other people's needs. I love the quietness as I know that there's so much noise in this world that some who hears wished they were deaf. Some of us who are deaf "hears" everything with our eyes, it's such a beauty to see with one's eyes and listen with our hearts. Here's the poem I wrote over 6 years ago.

Go Play!!

I was about 6 or 7 years old,

Lived on top of the hill in Upper Saddle River,

There was 4 of us children living in a big house,

I was the youngest of us all at the time.

My mother was busy, and didn't have time

To deal with us children, staying in the house,

So mom would tell us children to go outside,

"Go play outside, Go...I'm busy!"

My brother and sisters went outside,

I went outside, thinking what I should do

I thought about some kids down the hill

About the same age as I, downhill I went.

I had played with them before,

as I ran down the hill, and saw my friends

Playing on the road, hop scotching with a rock,

I came closer and closer toward them.

When they, the three girls, saw me coming down

They looked at each other, mouths moving,

Then suddenly, they took off running

Running away from me...

Toward one of the girls' house.

I was almost at the bottom of the hill.

When I saw them running fast, farther from me,

I was shocked and hurt, not understanding

Why they did this to me...What did I do wrong?

We used to play often, but not that day,

So, I ran after them, wanting to play with them.

As I ran and ran, closer and closer toward them

They kept running and running, toward one's home

I saw the girls rushed into the house, and

When I came upon the door...

The door SLAMMED shut to my face.

I stood there in shock and in disbelief,

My heart started to cry, feeling hurt

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I thought, "What did I do wrong?"....

All I wanted to do, was to play with them,

So, I banged and banged on the door,

Suddenly the door opened,

A tall pretty blonde-haired woman stood there,

Looking confused and asked me, "What's wrong",

And looking sideway at the other girls inside,

Then at me, she asked again, "What's wrong?"

I looked at her, said haltingly, "I want to play with them"

She looked at the girls, said something to them,

Then opened the door wider

And told me to come inside the house.

We played a while, in silence....

From this day forward, I never went back

To play with them again,

Because I felt rejected and unwanted

And why was I rejected...I'll tell you why,

It's because I couldn't hear and I talked funny.

So, I implore you to please...

Please teach your children to love everyone

No matter who they are, what they look like

So they will not hurt others like I and others were hurt.

This memory is still delicately fresh in my mind

And this has taught me to be sensitive to others.

And my advise is, be kind to others, please.

By R. Weitze

7-1-2001/revised 9-11-2007

"Oh God!...."

Awwww, summer's over already, didn't feel like two months have come and gone...I was thinking..."Wow, already?!" I sure had a busy summer! I did a lot of scanning of old pictures to bring with me on my trip out west to do a slide show, of our older generation, with my relatives during a family reunion (my father's side, he has since deceased some years back). Some of whom I've not seen in over 35 and some over 40 years! Of course, it was great seeing them again...some were amazed how I've grown up and able to talk and can think like them. Yet at the same time, they didn't know how to communicate with me, except for "Good Morning...how are you..." Most of them are difficult to lipread...seems like, the older hearing people gets, the lip movement they make gets smaller, doesn't it? Or is that all in my head? Lol!

While I was there I took lots of pictures of them as they were chit chatting with one another. Even my sister was there, but she was oblivious to me being there, engrossed with conversations with our relatives. That's the deaf world, ain't it? Happens often in many surroundings with hearing people around. In the back of my head, I had wished I had a deaf companion with me or even a group of deaf people, for me to communicate with. But I survived as I stayed positive for most of the days except for one instance which I experienced as some of you may have something similar to mine.

This one instance happened one morning, as we were eating breakfast in a breakfast room (we were in a condo style hotel). As I sat next to my sister who was talking to our 2nd cousin (m) ...I didn't ask what they were talking about....I just ate my bagel, tried to lipread and of course I couldn't follow one word (talked fast and small lip movements)....after about ten minutes, my 2nd cousin (m) got up to get more coffee and sat back down, he was talking to her...10 seconds later, they bursted out laughing....I looked at my sister and asked, "what's so funny?" She looked at me, made a depressing scowling face, and exclaimed, "OH GOD, that was TEN minutes ago!!" The food that went down my throat came back up, I was shocked...and felt insulted, almost choked on my food, tried to swallow it, said to her, "Oh, never mind....that's ok...". I got up, took a cup of coffee with me and went outside, to a bench around the building.

As I was trying to drink my coffee, sip by sip, to get the food down. Tears began to fill up my eyes and started falling, slowly, down my cheeks. I just couldn't believe what had transpired. Oh before I left the room, when I got up, my 1st cousin (f), heard my sister and went over to her, and went "ohhhh" to my sister, as my sister started to cry, my cousin (f) put her arms around her. I do not know what my sister said to any of them, (there were about 7-8 of our relatives in the room). I felt kinda embarrassed and angry that they would feel sympathy for my sister. No one came to me, not one! Of course, they couldn't understand what I was feeling as they probably didn't know how to deal with me, a deaf woman.

As I was a bit more calm, around ten minutes later, my sister came out, kinda like a shuffling walk, to where I was sitting, she said, "I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I didn't feel good....I took xanax last nite because I couldn't sleep and it's making me feel funny....I couldn't even remember my own name..." I looked at her, tears started to fill up my eyes again and I replied to her, "I wanted to share how I feel...I felt insulted what you said 'Oh God...that was ten min ago', when it was only 10 seconds before, not 10 minutes....I just wanted to know what was funny..." She said she's sorry about this. We let it go at that point...we sat opposite on the benches, saying nothing til other relatives came by and we left for downtown in Carmel. I could feel some of my relatives' eyes were on me, to see if I'm "altogether" or whatever they were thinking. I chose to ignore this feeling and just smiled...as it wasn't worth it to dwell on this...let it go.

A few days later, as my cousin (f) and I were back in Oregon, from California. Somehow, we were talking about the deaf culture. Then I told her that many hearing people like her do not truly understand what we go through...she said she did, I told her, "No you don't....you felt bad for my sister...it was insulting what she told me..." as I repeated this incident. Then I told her, "I didn't complain when everyone was talking among themselves in our living room....it was as if I was invisible to everyone around, so I kept myself busy with taking pictures and cleaning up the kitchen....and then, very simply, that morning, I asked my sister what was funny....just 10 seconds before, not 10 min."

Suddenly, she bursted into tears, apologized for crying, said she was sorry, choking back her tears then said she didn't realize what I was going through and that made her think of her relationship with her husband, who has since passed away of cancer. She remembered how she felt left out when she tried to communicate with her husband, at the time, who was in good health....she wanted to share her excitements, her thoughts and hear his as well...but it wasn't to be. She had wished it was a better relationship before he passed away, but he chose to be this way. Sad, ain't it? My cousin also confided that she had thought about getting everyone to go in a circle, in the living room, so I can read their lips but never did. I told her it wouldn't matter much because they will all be talking and I wouldn't be able to follow the conversations which is often the case.

Some people will say: Well, that's life! But we are here on earth to learn, to teach and be taught on every level, become more wiser and be more sensitive, not desensitize.

That's my thought for the day...there's really nothing I can do about this....sometimes we're stuck and learn to live with it which it didn't have to be but it does. This made me think of a poem I've read so many times and can relate to her experience so well. It's called "What Is It Like to be Deaf?" by Dianne Kinnee (Switsra).

"What is it like to be deaf?"

People have asked me.

Deaf? Oh, hmm... how do I explain that?

Simple: I can't hear.

No, wait... it is much more than that.

It is similar to a goldfish in a bowl,

Always observing things going on.

People talking at all times.

It is like a man on his own island

Among foreigners.

Isolation is no stranger to me.

Relatives say hi and bye

But I sit for 5 hours among them

Taking great pleasure at amusing babies

Or being amused by TV.

Reading books, resting, helping out with food.

Natural curiosity perks up

Upon seeing great laughter, crying, anger.

Inquiring only to meet with a "Never mind" or

"Oh, it's not important".

Getting a summarized statement

Of the whole day.

I'm supposed to smile to show my happiness.

Little do they know how truly miserable I am.

People are in control of language usage,

I am at loss and really uncomfortable!

Always feeling like an outsider

Among the hearing people,

Even though it was not their intention.

Always assuming that I am part of them

By my physical presence, not understanding

The importance of communication.

Facing the choice between Deaf Event weekend

or a family reunion.

Facing the choice between the family commitment

And Deaf friends.

I must make the choices constantly,

Any wonder why I choose Deaf friends???

I get such great pleasure at the Deaf clubs,

Before I realize it, it is already 2:00 am,

Whereas I anxiously look at the clock

Every few minutes at the Family Reunion.

With Deaf people, I feel so normal,

Our communication flows back and forth.

Catch up with little trivials, our daily life,

Our frustration in the bigger world,

Seeking the mutual understanding,

Contented smiles and laughter are musical.

So magical to me,

So attuned to each other's feelings.

True happiness is so important.

I feel more at home with Deaf people

Of various color, religion, short or tall.

Than I do among my own hearing relatives.

And you wonder why?

Our language is common.

We understand each other.

Being at loss of control

Of the environment that is communication,

People panic and retreat to avoid

Deaf people like the plague.

But Deaf people are still human beings

With dreams, desires, and needs

To belong, just like everyone else.

--Dianne Kinnee (Switras)

What's your thoughts on this? Want to share yours?

Have a great day and keep on smiling, we're still alive and kicking butts here and there! :-)