“Many of you that know me, know I’m Deaf. You probably also know that I’m pretty resilient. With COVID-19, many places require you to wear masks. Grocery stores, doctor offices, etc.
I went to the grocery tonight to pick up a few things. I wore my mask. It’s a weird feeling. A feeling I’ve never experienced. The feeling of it being hard to breathe, glasses fogging up, and an overall anxiousness. At least for me.
I rely on lip-reading a lot even though I can hear pretty well with my cochlear implant. Well, kinda hard to read lips when everyone has a mask on, right? So, I took my cochlear off to go in the store. Why? The ear straps of my mask rub it and make an unbearable noise. So I go in and do my shopping. I arrive at the checkout line and someone stops me. I assume they’re talking, so I tell them I can’t hear. They realize what I mean so they grab a piece of paper and write what they’re asking. Cash or card? Gotcha.