September Cage trip

[Miss Silvera]

Gonna Cage it on a 3 week adventure coming up in Spetember.    Headed NC to CO (Durango/Mesa Verde), Western Slope CO up to Dinosaur  then through Idaho up to WY  and on to Jackson, Tetons, Yellowstone, over to Cody and then on to east  to SD  hit all the sights there, and drop down to Wounded Knee  and then to Sioux Falls and cutting over to IL, then headed back to NC..

If you live close to any of these, drop me a message.....


Silvera

[Rick Hall]

Depending on when, I might be here. Drop me a line when near.

Rick

[ZG]

Why in a cage MS?

[Miss Silvera]

Well two reasons...1)  too much gear to carry on a motorcycle as I will have everything and the kitchen sink too....and ....2) I'm bikeless...when I went Deaf I started having problems with my balance.....I even have trouble on a bicycle....

In a car  it dosen't affect me.....weird but the doctor said it was because my inner ear cochlear  nerve damage wouldn't let me equal my balance from left to right.   Sometimes when I stand up it happens too.   Driving in my Jeep I have no problems as I am "grounded" so to speak....

I have noticed that my balance has gotten better with time and hopefully I will be back riding someday...I am wanting for a cross country bike trip bad!  Hard to give up over 33 years of motorcycle riding...

[JetJock]

Not to pry, but what called the deafness or hearing loss? I ask, because my hearing is in the "pretty bad" category --- one step below "deaf as a rock."

[Miss Silvera]

 Your not prying... my doctor said...

I had evidently had some type of an infection in my ears that resulted in damage partially or completely to my Cochlear nerves.  What I think hapened in four days actually was/had been going on for 6-8 weeks.  I kept having the feeling there was water in my ear, one side for a day or so and then maybe the other ear, maybe nothing for a day or so then it would come back. I kept thinking it was water in my ears.  The doctor went on to say that I probably didn't notice the diminishing hearing and that does match with what happend when co-workers had said I ws being awfully "loud" when talking or using the phone. It got to the point where I couldn't get the phone loud enough and realized that I wasn't hearing at all....

The doctor along with several other specialists all basically told me the same thing and it could have actually been a virus that tured into an infection and went untreated.   

I have been "Profoundly Deaf" now for over two years.  In the months to follow, members of this forum (and of the old forum and  the other COG forum) came together and helped me
 A LOT!   I had lost my job (second career), had to sell my bike for a couple of reasons, and pretty much was at the end of my string. Slowly I started getting back on my feet and now I am doing pretty good, I do miss a lot of stuff, but you compensate in other ways.

 I had filed a EEOC complaint and just recently my complaint was thrown out as the EEOC could not find an infraction.   (That is a long story)  The case took over a year and a half to give me that answer.

Along with the other losses, I had been warned that I would lose "friends", and that happened too....slowly....several folks who I "hung" out with I haven't seen for a long time now....even though I can still talk , which my speech isn't great I think cause I struggle with it so I assume it doesn't sound good,   I do read lips pretty good...people just don't want to deal with Deaf folks.  I can count on one hand my local friends.

 
Deaf as a rock?  No, Deaf as a ANVIL!   

[shreveportSS]

When you leave Mesa Verde, be sure to go up through Dolores to Teluride and up. Of course you will miss Arches national park and Moab, or Durango to Ouray depending on how you go. Decisions, Decisions. If you were on your bike, I would say you should do the entire San Juan Skyway including Black Canyon. So much to see there.
 If you go into Cortez and stop by the Rocky Mountain One Stop (music store) on Main street by the Wendy's,  say hello to my sister. She owns the place. Enjoy.

[shreveportSS]

Not to pry, but what called the deafness or hearing loss? I ask, because my hearing is in the "pretty bad" category --- one step below "deaf as a rock."

Huh??

[ZG]

Understood MS, sorry for my comment then, I didn't know that.
 
Both of my daughters take American sign language in highschool, my oldest for the past 3 years and my youngest for the past 2 years. It's offered now in schools here as an alternative to taking Spanish or French etc... They're both really good and often use it to communicate with their other friends that take it too in a situation where they either aren't supposed to be talking (like in class), or in a gathering of people that they don't want the others to know what their saying (one of those being at the dinner table to each other so that mama and I don't know what their saying...  ). I think it's really cool though and hope they continue.
 
Wish you the best on getting back on a bike someday MS!     

[Miss Silvera]

If you go into Cortez and stop by the Rocky Mountain One Stop (music store) on Main street by the Wendy's,  say hello to my sister.

Yeah, I don't go in music shops much, since I'm Deaf, well I just don't get it anymore....


I'm headed through Ouray cause I will probably stay there a night and "bask" in the hot springs!

I was born in Durango so I know that area....  I'll probably pass Telluride this trip, was there a few years ago and the Billionaires had up a road block keeping the millionaires out  so that stopped me at the gate...

[Miss Silvera]

ZG, not at all,  thanks for the question.....I surely wish your daughters were close I would love to learn more ASL,  I know some but since I don't hang around with Deaf folks I hardly ever use it...

Tell them to keep it up, it will pay off for them someday....

And thanks, I want back on so bad I can't stand it...I look at bikes about everyday......

[Nosmo]

Silvera:

I'm sure you know there's probably 100 people on this forum that would gladly have you ride pillion anytime.

As for "friends" not hanging with you anymore, well I just don't understand that, but here's a small bit of perspective:

A few weeks ago a buddy whom I used to work with came out for a visit, and brought his wife.  I've known him since 1997 and we worked together for seven years, but I've not met his wife before.  She is totally deaf.  She signs and reads lips, and speaks, but it is quite garbled and hard to understand.  I have little experience being around non-hearing people (my mother is losing her hearing but she's 89 and wears hearing aids only when she wants to but that's different we always yell at each other).  As a non-signing person, it found it very frustrating to try to communicate with Andy's wife, and I was embarrassed that I could not understand her speech and I found myself just kind of ignoring her.  I felt bad about that, and I still am not pleased with myself.  I feel I sort of treated her badly and she just kind of retreated into the background.  That wasn't my intent, and as I say, I feel badly about it.  Andy interpretted for awhile, but when started talking about the old aviation days, etc., he stopped signing for her, and we talked to each other, while she was shut out.  I just didn't know how to communicate with her, anymore than I could with someone who spoke only Russian or something.  I think I can see where your former friends may have retreated for that reason, they just didn't want to take the effort or learn how to communicate with you.  Perhaps that is the difference between small "f" friends and big "F" FRIENDS.

Good luck with your "cage" trip and drive safe!

[Miss Silvera]

Nosmo,

thanks

I don't expect folks to learn to sign, I have learned but not a lot...I'm not around Deaf folks so I don't have anyone to sign with or who understands it much.  A couple of those friends do "get" some of it.  What I suppose happens is that when someone talks to me and I'm not looking at them, they get frustrated that I don't answer them and have to tap me on the shoulder and repeat.   

Here is an interesting observation.  After I went Deaf, I was going to a support organization that has a lot of Deaf folks coming there.   I learned real quick an overwhelming amount of Deaf folks (men) are very vulgar....a lady who works there was interperting for me and several men were signing to me and some of the things they were saying, well let's just say I can't repeat here.  I was astonished.  And it really pi$$ed me off too.     I later learned that Deaf folks around other Deaf folks, well about anything goes.....till they learn if you "accept" that kind of behavior.  They learned REAL quick I don't.   The Deaf culture is a real interesting thing.  I know a couple of peope who have been Deaf all thier life and don't sign....they either don't accept being different or they find it frustrating...as I do.    With time I have gotten over the frustration a lot.   I have met many folks on Facebook that are now "friends" and accept my being Deaf, maybe because we are in the written world and not the speaking world..

Thanks again for your comments....it is appreciated...  As far as riding pillion, that would be almost a first....I haven't ever ridden "B--ch" but with one friend years ago....
More than anything it's a control issue!! LOL 

I should add here, I eat at a couple of local places pretty regularly, and the wait staff there know me, thay have always been very nice to me when it comes to communication.  Last night I went and got a take out box from a local diner that I go to at least once a week, the owner ther knows me and when I got home there was enough food in the box for two meals....I don't think he does that because I am Deaf, but because I am a regular customer and I tip the girls there even on a take out box. But his generosity goes a long ways with me.
But I do think he recognizes that I am a good, "Deaf" customer and doesn't get frustrated with me if I communicate differently.

[JetJock]

Along with the other losses, I had been warned that I would lose "friends", and that happened too....slowly....several folks who I "hung" out with I haven't seen for a long time now....even though I can still talk , which my speech isn't great I think cause I struggle with it so I assume it doesn't sound good,   I do read lips pretty good...people just don't want to deal with Deaf folks.  I can count on one hand my local friends.

 
Deaf as a rock?  No, Deaf as a ANVIL!   

Trust me, those "friends" weren't.

I run in a pretty big social group besides also running a business and I have never made any apologies for my lack of hearing. It is what it is (or isn't, rather). And I've dealt with this most of my life, courtesy of the same kind of ear infection and nerve damage that you described. I'm well aware that sometimes my speech isn't clear, but I've learned that if people really want to talk with you, they make the effort. It's a 2-way street. I don't lack for friends and neither should you.

Occasionally I do run into someone who thinks that being deaf or close to it also diminishes your intelligence. I have no qualms about correcting that misconception.

[T Cro ®]

Occasionally I do run into someone who thinks that being deaf or close to it also diminishes your intelligence. I have no qualms about correcting that misconception.

For some reason I seem to believe you there....

My father was a bit hard of hearing from working around noisy engines long before the advin of good hearing protection so my family grew up used to talking loudly plus we tended to get louder in groups and even went so far as to carry on several conversations at the same crowded table. My wife was actually intimidated by it all the first time she flew back home with me for a family Christmas. But I'm slowly taking my Dad's place as I too work around loud motors and equipment and even with good hearing protection over the long term it catches up with ya as I live it too 24/7 shipboard life is loud even when it's quite.

[Miss Silvera]

Occasionally I do run into someone who thinks that being deaf or close to it also diminishes your intelligence. I have no qualms about correcting that misconception.

How so very true...as I have run into this several times when I was looking for work.   I have had the "roll-eye" the "shrug" and the comment. "we just don't have time to be writing you notes all day" as if I was stupid or something....

When, (if ever) it got to my work history, they would then do the Fiddle Crab Crawl and you could start to smell the shoe leather on their breath....

I have also run into that from folks who didn't know me, and just figured I was Deaf from birth, so to them Deaf and stupid  were hand in hand....

I have two degrees, over 2700 hours of college credit, was a certified state specialized instructor and taught among my other work.   I was even certified to teach middle grades and high school.  After working and retiring from 15 years in LE  I went back to school to learn and start a new career, I did and became an Orthopaedic nurse....and when I went Deaf I was told I could no longer work with patients...

 But...I'm pretty dumb evidently as I couldn't even get a job in a hardware store...funny how Deaf brings out Dumbness.....

[Nosmo]

Sadly proving once again the old saying that "It's not what you know, it what others THINK you know."