Why I Walk

Our family during the first walk in 2010

This Saturday is the third annual Walk4Hearing in Salt Lake City.  Each year I have been on the planning committee to help pull off a great walk.  I am often asked why I give so much time to it when I am so busy.  Here's my answer :)

Hearing loss is isolating.  Imagine a world where voices are garbled, unclear, confusing.  It's just so much easier to stay home and isolate yourself than try to put 1000% effort into hearing a conversation that's not "required."  Required would be a conversation that is work related, health related or child related.

Hearing loss is frustrating.  For most of us with hearing loss, our brain works just fine.  We have talents and abilities we want to contribute.  But to contribute, you have to hear!  For example, I just happen to be trained as a therapist.  I know a thing or two about how to help a person who is feeling suicidal.  I remember when a friend of mine was feeling pretty low and pretty desperate.  She was in such a dire state that she was hardly speaking coherently.  The more I tried to understand what she was saying to I could help her, the less she spoke.  My ears just wouldn't work well enough for me to do a darn thing.  I walked away from that feeling so useless (by the way, she is fine now!)

Hearing loss is hidden.  Millions of people have hearing loss.  MILLIONS.  But you wouldn't know it.  Why?  Because many of us hide it.  We don't want to be "different."  We don't want to be "incompetent."  We don't want to be "less than" or considered "disabled."  So we don't learn how to accomodate.  We don't learn how to speak up.  We don't learn how to accept our hearing loss, let alone be able to see the good in it.

It's time to step up!  It's time for those of us with hearing loss to stop hiding and rejoin the world.  It's time for us to learn and access the technology that will help us to contribute.  This is why I walk.  I want other people with hearing loss to put their hair up and show their hearing aids or their cochlear implants.  I want to find those who have isolated themselves and bring them back into a community who is willing to help and accomodate them.  I want people who are afraid of technology to demo it and become comfortable with it.  Hearing loss affects our jobs, our families, our friends, our hobbies, our entertainment and our self worth.  Let's do something about it!

Please consider donating to the walk.  We are raising money to help people with hearing loss and we are GOOD at helping people with hearing loss.  Thank you for stepping up with me :)

http://hlaa.convio.net/site/TR/Teamraiser/SaltLakeCityWalk?px=1152975&pg=personal&fr_id=1996

k's krew 2010

k's krew 2011