A cat.
I remember always worrying about not hearing a few years back. Ever since I was in college I used to worry I won't be able to "hear". Who or what or in what situation was less important than the fact that I would not be up to the task of ... listening?
The weird thing about this is twofolded:
Not hearing is somewhat humiliating because it's something that everyone can do. It's such a weird thing to begin behind everyone and I always felt that I have to be more to make up for it. I mean if you have to make an effort to hear me, maybe I should give you a reason to listen. But weirdly this doesn't work as well as you'd think...
Explaining that you don't hear is difficult because you need to either do it early or after something weird happens.
If you start with that, you're basically starting an interaction from a position of weakness. Hey, I'm impaired but like, don't run...again, there is nothing empowering or good about this. It's like putting everyone on pedestal and trying to be normal.
On the other hand, if you don't be sure that misunderstanding are to come and you will say something weird or do something atypical and people will wonder as well. Are you either: haughty, stupid, an asshole, eccentric or simply weird...or is something else a-miss?
I think about this one cat often.
Back in high-school, I went to this party at someone's house. I was new to the town, the people were "sophisticated" to my mind and I just mostly stood in a corner and drank water or something equally lame. Why talk with people?
Anyway, there was this white cat that did nothing as well. You called her, it did not come, you tried to play with her, it was interested. It just minder her own business doing nothing like the world didn't exist. People called it the "philosopher" cat. It was a party amusements for some of us.
A few weeks later, I met with someone who was at the party and we got to talking about this cat. And this person said to me that she heard that the cat was actually deaf. Which explains everything.
I think it broke my heart a little.
Maybe she was happy ignoring all the random things around here. If you're happy does it matter what others think?
I wish this was my take on it. But it's interesting that you think this way. Always great to be reminded that nothing is absolute, not even my thinking :D
Wise people listen more than speak.
lol.... sometimes cats when called pretended not to hear, cats this one unique and beautiful
I don’t think you give yourself enough credit and you downplay yourself too much. You were the first person to come up to talk to me at Steemfest, and I didn’t even notice your hearing aid until maybe day three. You got some balls and don’t worry so much about not hearing every word, most people talk absolute nonsense anyways 😉