In my early deaf childhood, I knew I was deaf but did not realize that I was different. I knew that I was audiologically deaf, and that I had problems communicating. However, I did not yet understand what it really meant to be deaf. My deaf childhood permanently changed when I was about seven.
Turning Point in Deaf Childhood
My class was putting on a melodramatic skit. Every child tried out for the "mean landlord." I sat watching the others try out; the teacher was not happy with anyone. So I tried out. All I had to do stick my hand out and demand "The Rent!" The teacher liked it and I won the role! I was proud and eagerly looked forward to the day of the skit.
Aftermath
The day of the skit came. I performed, and that was that. Or so I thought. Later, another child came to me privately and told me other students were laughing at me, making fun of my speech.
(I was still learning to talk, and my speech was not easily understood. I could talk clearly only with a lot of effort. When I said "The Rent" it came out "Thhhhhe Rent!" Deaf children have a difficult time learning the combinations "Sh, Ch, Th," etc.)
Painful Awakening
I was stunned. From that day on, I knew that I was DEAF and what it meant to be deaf. I knew that being deaf meant more than just wearing hearing aids and difficulty in understanding others. It also meant having to deal with reactions of others to deafness. I never felt the same again — from that day on in my deaf childhood, I felt different in an acute, painful way that I had never felt before.
