Pieces of Me

Tonight I attended a local meeting and I learned something about myself.  I am helpful, more helpful in educating and knowing the resources that are out there for hard of hearing and deaf individuals.  I'm no expert, but I think I come pretty close to it. I lost my hearing when I was just four years old.  As I was thinking back to that time and up to today, even I was offended by my own hearing loss because I feed off of the hearing individuals who were always around me.  I was never around other hard of hear or deaf individuals.  Now as I approach the age of 29 I am still new to the hard of hearing and deaf community.  I feel left out due to losing my vocabulary in ASL, (BOOOO!) I know.  Now, I am thinking about signing up for a few ASL classes and hopefully get some practice in so that I may interact with those who have used ASL all their life. When you grow up in a "hearing" community, you get used to being left out or picked on or even taking offenses from them. 

As time has passed me by, I have learned that it was time to let go of people, things, and old habits to move forward.  Life has been a roller-coaster ride for me.   I had my highs and I had my lows.  It was hard trying to to work through my own life's issues and situations that were emotionally and physically draining.  However, once I came to realized it was time to let go, I was scared of the simple little fear that I was losing a part of myself.  In the end, I realized I didn't lose a part of myself.  I saved myself from hurt. I just ordered TD Jakes book "Let it Go".  I am looking forward to reading this book and learning more about what it means to truly let it go.  Of course, I am feeling lighter, freer and worried free now.  I understand, I can't always be that person in someone else's background or be that person in waiting.  Sometimes the very things we need is right in front of us the whole time and we were too blind to see it.  I am learning, as