being deaf

Gizmodo posted an article a little while back on being deaf.  Now the article is written by someone that was born deaf, and is in that 20 something age that is very angst filled anyway, but was pretty insightful none the less for me in my personal life.  My father is going deaf, rapidly.  It's not just a matter of certain tones going away, it's a matter of he's already lost over 80% of his hearing.

This is changing my family dynamic and reading the account of this young man's loneliness in a world that engages largely with our voices was very eye opening.  When there is a gathering of more than a few people, it is not uncommon for my father to not be able to keep track of what is being said.  His most common response is to retreat to his smart phone, that provides him with some entertainment.  It is also getting harder for him to hear on the phone, so he has taken to texting rather than getting frustrated with not knowing what you said.

The article is a little long, but interesting to see a different perspective on life and gave me clues on how to help my father interact with his world.