thewordfountain

Jo. Most definitely. She's the one I can relate to the most. I love Jo. No question about it. Although, really - I wish she had been with Laurie. :(

All right. I'll be honest. I love Eeyore and Tigger equally. They're both just so cute and such a huge part of my childhood (and present...and probably the future...*sheepish smile*)

Eeyore: Gloomy; depressing; always looking for the worst scenario.

Tigger: Exciting; Happy; looks for fun everywhere.

The answer really should seem obvious, but...Eh. It depends on the person. And it also depends on the situation.

Being stuck in an elevator? Oh my gosh. I would not ever pick either of these two. Eeyore would just scare you, but Tigger would become fantastically annoying after a while.

So...I choose - Winnie the Pooh. (What a cutie!)

The end. :D

I'm not deaf myself, but both my parents are deaf. My dad is deaf because he was born three months early, and my mom because my grandmother had German Measles when she was pregnant. This is why it isn't genetic and why I am hearing.

I started learning sign language at six months and my first sign language word was "light." I have no idea what my first speaking word was, but I did start babbling around the exact same time.

I do have some inkling of how hard it is to be deaf though. I have watched my mother and father deal with it, and it's really hard, but I think I help. I relay for my parents when they need it, and I always answer the phone and help them with credit cards, bank accounts, and the like.

Many people find this strange, but it is the most normal thing for me. My friends are, sadly, afraid of my parents. They always feel awkward, and don't talk with my parents, despite the fact that my mom can read lips and uses a hearing aid.

Once, my friend fell and hurt her knee BADLY. My mom helped disinfect her knee and wrap it up, but when my mom asked how it was, my friend just mumbled and looked away even though she has been coming over and has known my mom for years. I then just told my mom she was fine and when I talked to my friend about it, she said that she felt weird because she didn't know if my mom could hear her or not. I then had to explain that if you speak loudly and clearly enough, my mom would understand.

I love my parents a lot, and I love that they're deaf. I wouldn't change it for anything. I love it because it has let me into a whole different world and has given me two languages to be blessed with. If I didn't have deaf parents, I would have been able to meet a whole different group of people that are deaf and learn all about their life experiences. I wouldn't have learned about some of the problems that they are faced with; like discrimination and misunderstandings.

Many people actually seem to think that deaf people cannot drive and they are at a disadvantage because they can't hear. It's actually quite the opposite. Deaf people are better drivers. They don't get distracted by talking with other people, music, cell phones and they pay attention to the road. Many people have the idea that deaf people can't drive and I've read a police officers forum where they talked about encountering deaf drivers. I was offended. Many of them believe that they shouldn't be allowed to drive.

My parents are very lucky to have me. There are many situations that seem harmless, but deaf people have been hurt because of them.

You know when you go to a grocery store, and the person scanning your food asks how you are? Deaf people obviously can't hear that. I always answer for my mother, because I don't want anyone to get offended.

Some people aren't as lucky. One man had gone grocery shopping, and when asked this, he didn't hear it. The scanner obviously thought that he was being rude and ignoring him, so when the man left and was walking outside - the scanner took a shovel and ran out, hitting the deaf man on the head. I cannot understand why anyone would even do that in the first place, but him being deaf just makes the situation a whole lot worse.

There are so many other problems that deaf people encounter, and I only hope that as time goes on, people will become more accepting and understanding. I plan on, when I grow up, helping people understand this. I've even started now. Kids are easily one of the rude, and if I encounter kids that are mean about it, I explain everything to them and let them know why it's wrong to make fun of them.

I absolutely love my deaf parents. :D