Thoughts of a Deaf Child
By: Stephen J. Bellitz
My family knew that I was deaf
When I was only three, and since then fifteen years ago
Have never signed to me.
I know when I'm around the house,
I try and use my voice,
It makes them feel more comfortable;
For me, I have no choice.
I try, communicate their way-
Uncomfortable for me.
My parents wouldn't learn sign
Ashamed or apathy?
I never cared about the sound of radios and bands;
What hurts me most is, I never heard
My parents' signing hands.
By: Stephen J. Bellitz
My family knew that I was deaf
When I was only three, and since then fifteen years ago
Have never signed to me.
I know when I'm around the house,
I try and use my voice,
It makes them feel more comfortable;
For me, I have no choice.
I try, communicate their way-
Uncomfortable for me.
My parents wouldn't learn sign
Ashamed or apathy?
I never cared about the sound of radios and bands;
What hurts me most is, I never heard
My parents' signing hands.
Interpretation:
The young boy, Stephen didn’t have the ability to hear starting at the age of three, and is now eighteen years old. He grew up with the physical inability to hear, and his family has never tried to correspond with him. His hearing parents did not want to learn sign language to communicate with their deaf child, even though sign language is his primary means of communication. For them, it was hard enough having a deaf child. A majority of deaf people do not speak because they are afraid of how they will sound, although the little boy attempted to converse with them while he was at his home. He felt that he had to speak, just to please them, even if it was difficult for him and it made him uncomfortable. He “never cared about the sound of radios and bands” because he could not hear, he could only feel the beat of the music. His parents did not want to learn to sign, so he questioned himself, “what is my parents’ excuse to refuse sign language?” He wondered if it was overwhelming for them or whether they were humiliated with that fact.
The young boy, Stephen didn’t have the ability to hear starting at the age of three, and is now eighteen years old. He grew up with the physical inability to hear, and his family has never tried to correspond with him. His hearing parents did not want to learn sign language to communicate with their deaf child, even though sign language is his primary means of communication. For them, it was hard enough having a deaf child. A majority of deaf people do not speak because they are afraid of how they will sound, although the little boy attempted to converse with them while he was at his home. He felt that he had to speak, just to please them, even if it was difficult for him and it made him uncomfortable. He “never cared about the sound of radios and bands” because he could not hear, he could only feel the beat of the music. His parents did not want to learn to sign, so he questioned himself, “what is my parents’ excuse to refuse sign language?” He wondered if it was overwhelming for them or whether they were humiliated with that fact.
The result of this communication gap harmed his familial relations, so it hurt him in many ways. The boy grew up with sheer madness and neglect and has never connected with his parents. His parents should have accepted the fact of his hearing disability and should have given him permission to be who he really is: anything but silent. This real-life, unpleasant incident made a major impact upon him, and now he is a person that is unaware of his individuality.
(:~:~:~:~:~():~:~:~:~:~():~:~:~:~:~():~:~:~:~:~)
(:~:~:~:~:~():~:~:~:~:~():~:~:~:~:~():~:~:~:~:~)
