JXCKSON- CURIOUSTY 

I have a little sister that is 21 years younger than me. Yes, you read that right. My mom died when I was in high school and my dad married another woman. They have their own child when I was in my first year of being a working adult. It’s fun to have a little sister because I’ve been the youngest until she was born. I experienced being someone whom she needs to follow just like how I am scolded by my older sister.

Since this pandemic started, I am forced to work from home and stayed with her every day after work. I am not always at home because I’m just renting a unit nearby my work because the traffic and transportation situation in my country is one of the worst. I get to be with my family during this time of quarantine and protecting ourselves from this invisible enemy. I get to play with my little sister a lot.

I never knew how it could be so annoying sometimes because she wants to play with me but I need to talk and catch up with people. Also, the games she wanna play are way past my age already — talking barbies in which I always do when I was her age until before I get to high school. I can’t join her as much as she wants but I do my best not to neglect her because I know how it feels to be alone in the family. As a child, I grew up playing on my own or with my older sister, or with my playmates outside.

Aside from asking me to play with her, what annoys me sometimes is the questions of whys and hows. Children are very curious about everything and they tend to be very creative because their knowledge is still little about this world and they are very open about ideas than most adults are. My little sister is very vocal of what she feels and very curious about things. She’s very smart but tends to be very lazy most of the time because of gadgets.

Her questions of why and how sometimes make me question myself as well and realizing, “I never thought about this when I was growing up. It just came to me as an adult.” I love her innocence and curiousity. It helps me to revive that childhood thinking that I don’t know everything about this world and about this life. It helps me also to explain to her based on my experience and based on how she can understand it in her baby language.

Adults tend to be very limited on our box feeling like we knew everything not knowing that there is more to ask why and how. It is that thinking that hinders us to grow our knowledge more and depend on how the situation will let us know how to handle such situation and what that event means. We still have to keep that curious and childlike mind to help us grow as humans and to help us in our profession. Being curious keeps our minds young. It shows us that knowledge and curiousity should not be based on our age and let people tell us “you should have already known that”. It is a good trait to keep because we don’t limit ourselves in the “know-it-all” adult box.

I get this question every day. Wondering what was it like. Often sayig that I’m lucky cause I don’t have to deal with noises. My response: Can you survive without music? Well…. Can you? I can, because I’m used to it. But you couldn’t cause you need music. Cause you want hear your favorite bands such as green days, black veil, one direction, somo, etc. can you image yourself without a voice of your favorite singer/band? Being deaf is like half great and half terrible. I’ll tell you why. At end of my story: will your answer still same or change?: “Can you survive being deaf?”

Good side of being deaf: Can sleep in and not have to worry about background sounds. I can ignore people. Get some benefits. Have a beautiful language (American Sign Language) and etc.

Bad side of being deaf: Can’t understand people saying to you. A lot of discriminations. (They talk behind your back and you have no idea) Hard time to find job. A lot of oppression from people. A lot of audism. They will think you can’t do it and such. It really painful. They don’t understand deaf cultures. 2/6 parents signs and have commutation with their deaf children.

And the lists go on….

But I don’t mind being deaf, God created me and have purpose for me. It just the way I am. There’s nothing I can change about that. But that’s okay, cause I have big deaf pride. (:

Well, did this change your mind of your answer? It’s your opinion. And we’re not judging you. So that’s part of deaf life sound like.