Ya’ll must be thinking, “how many careers can she possibly have?”
Guess what buttheads! Sky’s the limit! And I can’t believe I said ya’ll. I must be a virginian now. Yay?
In high school and early 20s, I would catch myself watching ER or grey’s anatomy. My mom and her coworkers are Registered Nurses. I admire them so much. I hear them complain so much about their job, it’s a love/hate relationship that they have. Seriously, they have so much balls to get on their scrubs, march into work in bad weather and deal with guts, poop, and blood. Kudos to you guys. But inside I always knew this was something I couldn’t do. A large hospital with a large staff and everyone wearing masks? Hahaha. You all know I read lips right? (Blows raspsberry)
Then I remembered how much I loved having a relationship with my clients in a massage therapy setting and realized I could do this but in a different career. So I applied to Dental Hygiene school. Twice.
What the hell was I thinking? It was the hardest program to get into and I legit couldn’t believe it from my first rejection letter. Their program requirement was ridiculous. At first, it used to be 5-7 years experience of dental assisting. Like what? hello? Do people not know how hard it is to get a job like that with NO EXPERIENCE behind you? I was new in the area and knew no one in the field. Like thanks a lot guys. Self esteem level down.
All the adversity I had to go through (it will be discussed on “That Deaf Student…” blog coming out soon) to finish to the program made it all worth it. This was sweat, blood and tears day in and day out. 3 hour round trip to go to class, home at the late hours of the night, studying til you fall asleep, do it again the next day. Working over the weekend to supplement some bills. My skin was harsh and had bags under my eyes constantly that people wondered if I was sick. My brain was mush that I could barely remember what was taught the day before. I always wondered if this was the right career choice for me because I always receive praise for my work as a Massage Therapist.
Today, I work in a cute office in Leeburg. I’m constantly striving to find my place within the office and their patients. Adversity or not. There’s always challenges. There’s always a change in the dentistry world that makes you stay on top of your toes.
You’re always in a better position if you’ve been thoughtful as to why you want something different. You’re looking towards another career than running away from your current one. You always have to be prepared to start from the bottom. Again. Don’t be afraid of change.
I have three dogs that I constantly have to keep an eye on what they’re eating. This past summer, they were getting endless bouts of diarrhea. One dog after another. And vice versa. Countless visits to the vet had us questioning about their diet. “Are they eating healthy?” “Should we add more Greek yogurt or pumpkin?” “Are we giving them too little or too much?” “Are they drinking enough water?” “Is the grass poisoning them?” “What in the world are we feeding our dogs?!”
All kinds of crazy thoughts! The vets would say it’s environmental. I was so puzzled and got sick of it. Fast. They were eating high end expensive kibbles to grain-free wet food. Finally, I said enough. I did my research. Found a site that offers homemade food recipes.
That website has useful information on supplements and what to feed your dogs. How much you can give them and such. There’s also free recipes for certain conditions. Always consult with your vet before starting this.
Also for you feline lovers!
What a life changer. Our dogs LOVE homemade food. I can’t remember the last time Jameson was excited about a meal.
I buy the ground meat on sale whenever possible. It should be lean meat. Frozen veggies are almost always on sale. Huge bag of rice. Steel cut oats. Coconut oil. Throw in canned pumpkin or frozen butternut squash. Whatever you got laying around.
I throw it all in the instant pot. Turn it on and set it for manual pressure cook for only SEVEN MINUTES! Can we talk about how amazing this thing is? It cooks so fast in less than half the time! I love my slow cooker but this one takes the Gold. If you still have your faithful slow cooker, low for 8 hrs or high for 4-6 depending on rice.
I still give them kibbles because they need their minerals and vitamins. So what I do is, kibbles and homemade chow in the morning with fish oil. At night, heaping homemade chow. That’s it. Sometimes they’ll get their homemade treats. Even Store bought ones.
For a long time, the Vet would call out on Nikki for being overweight. She was starting to show signs of hip problems. She’s a Rottweiler mix and had those traits of hip dysphasia. She had her check up and went from 93 to 81 pounds. And still needs to lose a little bit more. She was also stomach sensitive to certain foods like some of the kibbles and wet foods in the past. Once we started this diet, her loose stools were gone. As well as Jameson and Charley. Nikki’s hips seem to be in good working order today.
Charley has a knee problem and keeping his weight under check was super important.
Jameson used to hate his meals. Nothing was making him happy. I’ve never seen him so excited for meal time. His energy is up. He’s no longer sulking around like he used to.
Over all, all three of them have high energy and look forward to their meals. And they’re senior dogs! Charley is 10. Jameson is 8. Nikki will be 8 in May. Yikes! Please freeze time.
That move to VA wasn’t going to happen unless I found a job. Unfortunately, there was a period of time where people lost their jobs, unemployment rate was going up, no one was hiring….It sucked.
I worked for this agency out of college outside of Philadelphia for a couple of years working with children of all kinds of disabilities. I was hoping to be somewhere along the lines of an occupational therapist or a counselor which both required a masters degree. Applying to grad school at the time was out of the question. With unemployment so high, everyone seemed to be scrambling to go back to college. So I said screw it and looked into a massage school. Kind of silly right? Not to me. I always had this mindset I was going to move to NYC or LA as a dancer and be a massage therapist to offset some of the costs of living and auditioning daily. Haha! SO!
I signed up for it. 7 months program, working 8-4 and was going to massage school 5-11 pm 4-5 days a week. All this was an hr from home. All while working full time. All while maintaining a long distance relationship on the weekends. Even if it meant, driving from NOVA to Philly to get to work 8 am on a Monday and start the week all over again.
Again, perseverance was key. Thank you mom!
I ended up finishing the program, moved, got my VA massage license, and worked in the cutest spa in a small town by DC. Now in the back of my mind, I always knew this isn’t what I really wanted to see myself getting old doing. Growing up, I admired my mom who is a registered nurse pulling long hours to save lives, come home to make sure there’s a roof over our head and food on the table. I looked up to her. She was a single mom. I wanted that real career stability, not because my husband wouldn’t take care of me, but because I wanted to make sure no matter what happens, I’m able to take care of us and the future kids eventually. Now let’s be real here. Anyone could do it. Me? I just didn’t see it in myself as a Massage Therapist in the long run. Yada yada blah blah blah.
I worked in a handful of chiropractor offices, local and corporate spas. Then finally a gym where I really enjoyed it. Long story short, thing is, it truly wasn’t for me.
Rewind then fast forward. After we got married, I applied to Dental Hygiene school which took some serious trying. At first, their application requirement was a bit over the top. At one point, they required “5-7 years experience in dental assisting”….ummm what? Dafuq? I knew how competitive the program was but come on. I ended up getting a part time DA job but I knew there were no guarantees. Rolls eye.
First year, rejected. Second year, rejected. Same year, somehow accepted? And by then, that requirement didn’t matter anymore, slap me in the face will you?
According to WHO, there are 360 million people worldwide that have some sort of hearing loss. It can range from genetics, to illness, to aging.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing don’t just use ASL
The population is so diverse that not everyone knows sign language. You can grow up in a hearing family and use speech as your primary communication. You can use sign language if that’s what you can do. Some people use both oral and sign. It helps to learn but in reality most hearing people don’t know how to.
Intensive speech lessons with a Speech Pathologist will help you go far. (I did it for 9 years)
It is a disability
We are just human beings without one of the senses.
Hearing loss can be bilateral or unilateral.
The old term is ‘hearing impaired’. Be careful with that because to some deaf or hard of hearing people, it’s like saying ‘retarded’ when someone has down syndrome or cerebral palsy.
Hard-of-hearing or deaf is a better term. Hard-of-hearing is more for someone who has mild to moderate hearing loss while deaf is someone who has severe to profound hearing loss. To some deaf cultures, if you have hearing aids and use oral speech, you may be considered hard-of-hearing.
There is a safe-n-clear FDA approved mask out there for all you deaf or hard of hearing aspiring medical professionals.
Same with stethoscopes!
We can have children who won’t be deaf
That’s what doctors are for. Talk with your doctor, not everyone passes it down.
In today’s world, you can find out the baby’s disability before and after birth.
Not everyone wears hearing aids or cochlear implants
There are deaf and hard of hearing people out there that just don’t wear either of them
Not everyone qualifies for cochlear implants. You are referred to an implant clinic for evaluations and undergo a series of tests that includes ear, hearing, physical and x-ray (MRI or CT) evaluation which can take weeks and months, depending on doctors and locations.
While the surgery is outpatient, there are several weeks before you can fully hear again. It’s irreversible. Mostly for people who have severe to profound hearing loss.
It is not cheap. It can cost up to $100,000+ but luckily most insurances will cover it.
There are all kinds of hearing aid options on the market. I’ve seen so much improvement, especially the kinds you can surf in or have blue tooth technology.
Be kind sharing videos that circulates around the internet showing children hearing for the first time (with hearing aids or cochlear implants). While it’s a wonderful thing to hear, not everyone has that opportunity or support.
All this warm weather lately is making me miss the snow from this weekend. Poconos is a good time. Great scenery and tons of ski resorts for all of you snow bunnies!
Friday:
The weather in VA was 51 degrees when we left. The drive is about 3.5 hrs. I made sure to check the weather and pack accordingly. Of course. I over pack. I text some of the girls double checking it’s casual. I mean, we have the whole house rented out to ourselves that included a shuffle board, darts, a pool table, a bar, etc, etc…
I had to work. It was such a weird Friday because we’re usually super busy! My schedule didn’t fill so I was like “peace out”! Justin and I dropped the pups off and was on the road earlier than scheduled. Half way through the drive, I was getting pretty antsy. I sit at work all day long and my right leg was aching. Justin was nice enough to switch with me. We get there around 8 which is like our bedtime. Hashtag snore. It’s about 23 degrees. 6 inches of snow on the ground. Huge house! The party was already popping, friends playing shuffleboard and pool, dinner was smoked assortments of meat. Knowing the bride and groom, they love jokes and pranks. They challenged us to win the master bedroom….by beating the next arriving guests in a game ofbeer pong. Time out….I can’t remember the last time I played beer pong. Was this in college? And honestly, we didn’t really care what room we got. We’re pretty competitive so we were up for the challenge. The bride, who is also named Amanda, knows me so well.
We go waaaaaaaay back. High School days were like jokes to us. We were so terrible in numbers that involved adding and subtracting that we were sharing math classes with the underclassmens. We were so terrible together they had to separate us. I’m sure there was a term for us when there were discussions over our behavior. It was not even funny. I don’t think we learned anything. Yet, nothing has changed to this day.
Justin and I get ready for this beer pong tournament. The groom, JR, (that’s JAY ARE, not junior) gave us instructions I didn’t even know was part of this “beer pong rule” thing. I usually just throw the ball and hope it goes into the cup, not aiming at peoples crotches. It definitely got heated. Fast. I mean, superman flying-catch-the-ball-on-the-floor crazy. We win, and it was a good game. Then, of course, a different couple wants to try. Time to focus again.
I’m already gagging beer at this point. Some how, we’re winning little by little. My husband’s got jokes. We win again. We get our room and settle down.
We keep eating food, catching up with old friends and got to know a few other couples. It was time to play this dice game called “Left, Right, Center”. We all bet $3 and roll the dice. If it was one two or three dots, you keep your money. If you had an L, C, or R, you’re giving your money to the person on your left, your right and the center. It keeps going until someone is the last one standing with hopefully more than $1 and a C dice, wins the pile of dollars. Justin was not happy. But hey we got the master? Fun night. We were up 4 am for work and headed to bed around midnight. The rest of shenanigans were up later til 2:30 am. Oy.
Saturday:
Man, I have a headache. I can’t even believe we both slept til 9 am. No dogs waking us up at ass crack of dawn. Even my body’s biological clock let me sleep in that late. Holy moley.
It was Ski Day. Some of the other couples are slowly moving as we are. Trying to feed ourselves was almost a chore. There was never enough coffee to wake us up. JR was making a snowman out of a pet he dreamed of the other night. We decided to head out to Big Boulder and have everyone meet us there. Did I mention we have not skied in probably over 15 years. Getting those ski boots on was like shoving your alcohol induced swollen feet into those robot shoe that doesn’t move. Walking in them was even effing awkward. I also forgot how to lock those boots into those darn skis. Man, we were in for a nightmare waiting to happen. A snowboarder ran into us on the ski lift. Thankfully he was ok. But I remember thinking, “I’m doomed.” We were supposed to be on a easy hill. Baby steps. Keep those knees bent and make a “pizza” ski. Don’t kill yourself on the way down. I probably gasped more times than I can count. No wonder I had hiccups all weekend. 😉
I keep missing Amanda every time. We’d text and it seems like they are on top of a hill and we’re down the hill. Finally, we catch up to them and head over to the big hills that’s supposed to be like one step above easy. Oh em gee. I was in for a wild ride.
The rest of the group were meeting us for snow tubing after lunch. We went for a couple runs, returned our rentals, got in the car to drive over, all the sudden, exhaustion began to set in. I looked at my husband and was like we need a nap! I kindly texted her and we were out like a lamp as soon as we headed back.
About an hour and then some into our nap, I had a feeling the party was coming back soon. I put my hearing aids on and laid back down for a bit. Not even 3 mins later, I could hear JR yelling “WE’RE HOME!”. Justin didn’t realized I had put my hearing aids on and let me know they were home. It’s cute right?
After dinner, the girls and I catch up again. Do you guys ever have friends that you haven’t seen in forever but always seem to pick up where you left off? Keep those friends. We were laughing and peeing our pants over memories. Emily “EMac” found a picture from 7 years ago and we decided to recreate it. Now, there was literally 100 retakes later. But I saved the best one. I’ll tell you why in a sec.
First picture you see. Our best looking selves on a birthday outing that went a little over the top. We basically took over Atlantic City by storm.
Emily ‘EMac’, Amanda, Amanda (me), Healther (Circa 2011)7 years later
Second picture. First, Heather to the left of me thinks she looks like a boy. “Oh, can we take another one? I look like Justin Bieber. I mean, I really look like a boy.” “Okay. Hair in the front ladies!”. Second, we didn’t realized “Smokey” was behind us. He used to be a real pig. This went on for probably 13 more pictures later, in another location, like the basement next to Romeo, our pin the penises on the stripper poster. Who we never got to play with.
After so many “Do you remember when we used tos…”, I was lights out by 10:30.
Sunday:
Somehow, I didn’t wake up with a headache. One of the couples were a lifesaver and made all of us breakfast sandwiches to go. After many breakfast sandwiches later and a gazillion coffee sans water, my hangover headache was slowly creeping back. Can we talk about how much food we had left over from this weekend?
We say our goodbyes, stop at Wawa for gas, waters, and more coffee for moi. I really missed Wawa! It was playoff day so everyone was decked out in Eagles gear including myself. The closest Wawa at home is legit 35 mins, by our old Crossfit gym. Where no one would be decked in Eagles gear. Mmm no.
I must say I took the wrong exit and almost missed another one. Only to have my husband giving me the stare. That kind of stare I always get. This stare was like “are you really going to drive or not?” Thing is, I’m now hungover at this point in some way. Sorry hub but not sorry. Now go back to sleep will you? Just close your eyes.
Amanda and JR. Wishing you both a lifetime of laughter, pranks, happiness and joy. 🙂
Go grab your friends and take a winter weekend trip. If those are the ones that can make a joke but can’t finish it because they’re laughing at their own jokes, keep those friends. The kind of people that just love life and roll things off their back are good people. Laugh at the tiniest things and be grateful. Cheers.
I’ve danced all my life. It was something I ate, slept, and breathed for. After my short professional career, I tried to keep on dancing. I was taking dance classes here and there and even thought about trying out for the Washington Redskins and Wizards after my move. (Never happened. I’m still pretty faithful to my Eagles). My boyfriend (now husband) at the time was doing Crossfit. This was circa 2010? It was still pretty new and I had heard “stuff” about it. Like stupid stuff. People used to talk about how bad it was for you. People wouldn’t shut up about it. Remember “uncle rhabdo”? Go fist yourself.
I knew I needed to do something to fill the void of dancing. To me, crossfit was very technical and almost rehearsed as if you had to follow a workout compared to performing a dance routine. I liked it. I hated it. I loved everything about it. And basically retired from that dance life.
I joined a Crossfit gym July 2011 and started doing the Crossfit Open in 2012. Without even realizing my potential, I made the team in 2013 as an alternate. I was planning a wedding. Add a new house on top of that. I wasn’t really “training” but was doing workouts almost 4-5 days a week. All their movements and lifts felt very natural to me. I got better and better with stamina. All the sudden, I was snatching more weight than most girls even some of the guys (winking at yous) at my gym. I wasn’t even really trying to be one of the top members. Okay, I lied. If there was no competition, then how would you compare? Be the best version of you. Period. Dot com.
Awkward! Does Bradley Cooper do Crossfit? No? Darn!
Anyhow, I decided to take the Crossfit Level 1 Coach certification. It required a full weekend of instructions and end with an exam at the end of the class on Sunday. I got my book and read through it. Day 1 comes along. Holy crap. If I remembered correctly, that was a shitload of information. Even though, everyone was so clear on the movements and fundamentals of Crossfit, I was still lost in translation. My brain does not work the same way a person with a normal hearing does. I ended up with a headache that night. Next day rolls along. Should be easy day right? Go through all the movements in small groups. Okay, time out. This exam is today?
My head hurts. So much listening (about 4-5 different coaches with different voices), lipreading, and the whole weekend was super chaotic in my opinion. And because of all that, failed my course. Twice. Eventually, passed my third. Barely.
I began coaching at Crossfit Reston and eventually took the kids coach’s course. I went on to coach the kids classes for about 4 years. Guess what? Rich Froning (don’t ask) was in my group at the Crossfit Kids Certification. Talk about nerves when one of the Red Shirt Coaches make you coach him in front of everyone. Squats? No problem! “Arms up, butt out, hips back as you go down!”. Can someone take my blood pressure please? (Fans self)
Gags. Now, I began to realize coaching was not a very easy thing for me to do. If you’ve taken a Crossfit class or coached, you may know what I’m talking about. Imagine this, everyone is staring at you. The music and fans are on. You can barely hear yourself. You need to be on top of every single movements which to me, no problem. Time came for it. My voice? Wasn’t cut out for it. The gym was huge and it seemed to echo back and forth. Members could barely hear me. My voice cracked. A lot. It’s pretty hilarious. 3, 2, 1!! (Cracked voice) And guys, I adore you all, no sympathy please. Go away.
My Crossfit Certification was running out. Every five years, you have to either retake Level 1 or move up to take Level 2 and bypass the first course. With my new job and the commute I was doing, I decided to let it run out. Good bye Lululemon discounts! I’ll miss you!
Don’t get me wrong. Coaching is very rewarding. When a member achieves her first pull up or PR a lift, even scrape their shin on the box, you know you’ve done your job. You’ve been in their shoes. You remember what it’s like. Go people. Thumbs up. Rock on. Good luck making the Games. Wink.
Nowadays, I lift and workout in my awesome garage gym. We call it “Swole City HAM Club”. Haha. It’s my little bubble. Away from stupid people. I can come home from work, take 15 mins to say hi to the dogs even though Nikki just wants to go outside for her tennis balls, hug my husband, change, walk five feet into my gym and just go. Head down and move. I work 10 hr days, some shorter if I’m lucky. On a good day, I will spend an hour. But that’s usually on my days off. Long day? If I don’t feel like doing anything, I almost always try at least 8-10 mins of a metcon, emom (that’s Every Minute On the Minute), or cardio such as running or rowing. Just to get a sweat and my heart racing. We all need that in our lives. Get your heart pumping people!
2015 was my best Crossfit Open performance. I had my eyes on the Games. Even if it didn’t happen that year, it was gonna happen the next and the year after that and so forth! Nopeski. That year I received my acceptance letter for Dental Hygiene school and the world just stopped. Pretty much. I tried to keep up with training. Um, forget about it. My first semester almost killed me. Almost. I applaud the people who can go to school full time and train full time. Good for you superstars. Can someone just sponsor me so I can quit my job and train full time? Ha.
A lot of people ask me what I eat. I eat cheesesteaks every day! And pizza! And my homemade ice cream! Dude I wish it were that easy. While I do eat those things but in moderation (I’m only human), I pretty much follow a macro/flexible eating nutrition program and get meals from Territory Foods. You can customized the type of meal plans that work for you, pick out the goodies, and have them delivered or pick it up at a local gym near you. Heat it up and viola! The best part about them? They give back to non-profits in need.
Dancing has saved my life. Period. I had been dancing for nearly 23 years. From that tiny basement to professional level. Yah, professional! That’s when it all finally paid off. Go me!
Why, you say? Well duh. Growing up was not always easy. Countless days of bullying and taunting allowed me to be free in a dance classroom. Also allowed freedom of expression and interactions with fellow dancers. The thing is, I didn’t really have a voice at such a young age and had a hard time defending myself. When young kids see your hearing aids, take it from me, they’re cruel as hell.
I had a voice in the dance world. Countless hours dancing and going to dance workshops, classes by top name dance professionals before they became big today, trips to NYC to attend dance classes at Broadway Dance Center, huge dance conventions such as JUMP, Shake The Floor, etc. I attended a performing arts high school, even started out as a dance major in college and participated in a pom squad. With a minor change in my career choice when the economy dropped, I decided to try out for the Baltimore Ravens at the time. Which also led MTV to follow me and do a story. If you ever feel so inclined to, google it, I’m sure it’s on YouTube as well. And no, I don’t watch it. Seriously.
While finishing up my degree, I was also fortunate to join the Baltimore Blast Cheerleading Squad which encouraged me to try out for the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders upon graduation. What a freaking fun ride. I went into the audition with no clue what I was getting myself into. I’ve met some amazing ladies who I still talk to this day. I got the experience of my life that I would’ve never imagined. I still look back and remember the chills I get when the fighter jets fly over the stadium during the national anthem or performing to the Eagles Fight Song. Goosebumps man.
But dude! Let’s rewind. That was a tough audition. The most nerve racking part of it was the live stage interview. Also! It was live on the internet too. Could you believe that? Me? That deaf girl has to ask for help? My god. There’s a panel of 10 judges in front of you and when your turn was up, they randomly pick a question and you have to answer it as best as you can. Hell no. Have you heard my alien voice? And it’s dark as hell. So dark you can’t even read their lips! What if it was a former NFL player mumbling something and you’re forced to ask him to repeat it multiple times? What was I supposed to do? Seriously, just save me the agony and just let me do what I do best. Dance and strut across the floor in my bikini ok? Please please?
Fortunately, I got my shit together and talked to the director about my situation. Now, if you know me, I flipping HATE asking for help. Like why does this have to be so damn HARD and yet it was something I needed to do. She was kind enough to let me in on a few questions. Yup the secrets out. If they couldn’t help me out especially after making it this far along, then BYE Felicia! Not worth the embarrassments and sacrifices I had to make which included missing exams, skipping classes and traveling 4 hr round trips from school to attend all this hard earned work that could possibly never happen. Hey, I was not going to let this opportunity go. (Cue Eminem rap) One thing I learned from my mother is perseverance is key.
perseverance: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
To get what you strive, eat, sleep and breath for, you’re going to do EVERYTHING you can to make this happen. Looking back, this accommodation was so MINOR, man. It can be so embarrassing especially when you’re about to be part of a major NFL organization.
It’s finals night. (Not the exams stoopid). I do my thing, telling myself, no one gives a shit if you don’t make it or not. (Truth is, I had a ton of people behind me on this. So thank you. You all know who you are. Especially you MOM!) Finally, the next day my number was called and it hit me that all these years of sweat, tears, hard work finally paid off. F yes! My mother knew I could do this and because of her, none of this would’ve happened. I followed my dreams. Basically. I’ve experienced so many rejections and this was now my moment to shine….
Time to wrap this up. We’re heading up to the mountain to enjoy a conjoined bachelor/bachelorette weekend! 🙂
This was something I’ve thought of for a long time and never really expressed to anyone about it until a few days ago. Fortunately, I’ve received a ton of support to move forward with this. Because I’m awesome. No really. I’m damn awesome. Support systems are what keeps you going and maintain your awesomeness.
If you’re a deaf person like me, you’re faced with discrimination. Every. Single. Day. Even subconsciously. You’re aware of it but have a hard time because NO ONE wants help. Why? Because they don’t know how to. It’s harder for you to try to explain because they’re NOT YOU. They don’t know you. They don’t care enough to. They have no respect. They’re having a bad day. Let’s see what I hear on a daily basis. They’re pretty wonderful comments. Ready?
“You have an accent, where are you from?”
“How long is this going to take?”
“Do you have something in your mouth?”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“How are you here?”
“Why don’t you have cochlear implants?”
“If you have hearing aids, why do you talk funny?”
“How come you don’t sign?”
The list goes on and on and on. We all have bad days. I get it. I really do. But guess what? NOBODY CARES. I plow through day by day and still keep a freaking smile on my face. (Some days with tears in my eyes.) People have no idea what really goes on inside our heads. The constant daily struggle of how low people make you feel even the tiniest bit, you freeze and crumble. There are worse things in this world than to make people feel like shit. Be awesome in life. Lend a helping hand to an elderly in a wheelchair trying to put two cases of water in their cart. Be kind to the person in front of you in line trying to write out a check for groceries. Help a mother with a crying baby at the store reach for a formula to feed her child. Let the driver in rush pass you. Be kind to the person who didn’t hear you and repeat calmly. Help a neighbor find her missing dog. Donate to society in need. Take a step back and try to understand.
First off, Happy New Year everyone! I know what you must be thinking. Why is this post titled “That Deaf Girl….”? Well, let me let you in on an obvious secret. I’m stone deaf. More than most people believe. Soak it all in! Are you ready for this?
Most of you may have known me from MTV’s episode of “True Life: I’m Deaf” or during my short time as a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader. All this feel like ages ago and now I’m a movie star starring alongside Bradley Cooper. Just kidding. I wish.
I’ve been in hiding focusing on my personal life and I’m back to tell more of my story. Now, sit back and buckle up. You’re in for a crazy ride.
That Deaf RDH Foundation 