Saturday, October 10, 2009

In The Beginning


It started with elephants, in the First Grade.

The teacher gave a bit of a lecture, then wanted us to draw a picture. I thought she instructed us to draw and color any circus animal, so I did my best to create a circus horse; one where the rider attempts jumps and acrobatics.

When our alotted time expired, I lined up with the other kids to hand in my Picasso. Noticing that my classmates had all drawn elephants, I slunk to the back of the line. Now standing solo in front of the teacher, her piercing eyes burning a hole through my 6 year-old soul, I had become her demon boy.

I pleaded for a second chance. She refused. Why?

The very next morning, upon entering the classroom, up above the blackboard, was a row of elephants followed by... gasp... one single horse. I stood still, waiting for hell to freeze over. I wished I'd die right then and there; six years-old.

Embarrassed, yes, but worse, scheduled for that evening was a one-on-one Parent-Teacher Conference.

As tears streaked my cheeks, I begged her to take my horse down. Again, she refused. Why???

A few weeks later I had my hearing tested for the first time; soon to be followed by a body-aid.

This was only... the beginning.

* * *

Well, that is how it all began for me. As a kid, you don't accept hearing loss. It takes a series of blows to break your spirit. And still, you don't want to believe you are different. Somehow demonized, cursed, forever falling to the bottom of the barrel, climbing back up, peering over the rim, only to be kicked back down again.

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