Seeing… HEAR AND NOW

Channel-surfing Monday night, I came across HEAR AND NOW, a documentary by Irene Taylor Brodsky on HBO. I was hooked immediately! It’s a sweet, touching and at times difficult look at the journey of a devoted married couple - Paul & Sally - who decide at age 65 to have cochlear implant surgery. Both were born deaf and have lived all this time in silence. Irene Taylor Brodsky is their daughter and she chronicles this life-changing journey, interspersed with stories of their childhoods – where they met at The Central Institute of the Deaf (CID) in St. Louis; their reunion as young adults that led to marriage after only 6 months of dating; their successful careers (Paul was an engineer, Sally a teacher); as well as raising three children – all of whom can hear. Paul was even a key part of the development of the TTY machine that allows the deaf to communicate via phone through typing. Irene also includes interesting historical footage of the “Oral Method” taught at CID – which taught deaf children how to speak and pronounce English.

After you get to know these two amazing people, you’re invested and you’re just as anxious as they are to experience a life with sound. The concept of appreciating sound becomes an underlying theme. As their daughter so poignantly puts it… "They've been daydreaming about sound their whole lives," she muses. "But what if hearing ... disappoints us all?"

On the one hand you’d say, “If I was deaf and had the chance to hear – HELLO! the obvious choice is YES!” Yet watching Paul & Sally’s journey really puts you in the shoes of a deaf person and you realize it’s not that simple and it certainly isn’t easy. Imagine being able to articulate words, but never actually hearing those words. When someone says “eardrum” – you hear the sound, but have no idea that what you’re hearing is the word “eardrum.” Or sitting in a room with your family – hearing everyone talking – but not knowing whose voice is whose. Even simply taking a walk – all of a sudden you’re hearing footsteps, wind, cars, animals, water, voices, even the rustling of your clothes – all at once! We who hear are so used to tuning out the unimportant. It wasn’t easy for Paul & Sally…

I was so touched by their wonderful story. I was reminded of how we rarely ever truly consider what life is like in the other person’s shoes. Even when we try or think we are - we’re still looking at it through our own agenda, through our own thoughts of how it “should” be. We don’t want to consider life with a disability, an injury or a tragedy. We don’t want to consider life in a different skin color, a different culture, a different socioeconomic status or belief system. For that matter, we don’t even want to consider the other side of the story or the perspective of a person who has hurt us.

I was touched by their devotion to each other and their family. They have accomplished so much as individuals and yet have never heard a single sound their entire lives. I was reminded of what an abundant life I do have. How grateful I am for my hearing… my sight… my working body.

A lot of things/situations/issues are touching me deeply these days. I’m seeing and understanding more than the obvious – more than what’s in front of me. It has not been easy, some things have been downright hell. But it’s been exciting all the same. To really see the beauty and joy in life – no matter the difficulties… to see and understand that the biggest obstacles CAN be overcome - if we really want them to.

My heart is so full of gratitude. My cup overflows. Paul & Sally are a sweet reminder of that.