Blind Or Deaf?

[+ Gar1eth]

This may be a ridiculous topic. I remember thinking about this when I was younger. But as I discussed in a previous thread, I have recently re-met someone I knew in passing from 5 years ago. When I knew him before he was normally sighted. Now he is almost totally blind (completely blind in one eye-can see a little light in the other but it causes him incredible headaches).

 

I keep wondering what it must be like for him having once been sighted.

 

And seeing him made me think about the question I had when younger-if something had to happen-would you prefer being blind or deaf. I think I might prefer being deaf-because as difficult as that is I think you could get around in society better. But then I think-but to miss the sound of conversation forever-but then I think-not to be able to see-...

 

Gman

[MsGuy]

You can always learn ASL.

 

 

Or get a note book or a white board or even use your keyboard to chatter away with a cute boy from St.Petersburg or Columbia on one of those live chat sites (at least until your credit card dies).

 

You can sub out eyes for ears but, unless you're a bat, not the reverse.

 

You do get a nice well mannered dog for free though.

 

[+ Gar1eth]

You can always learn ASL.

 

 

Or get a note book or a white board or even use your keyboard to chatter away with a cute boy from St.Petersburg or Columbia on one of those live chat sites (at least until your credit card dies).

 

You can sub out eyes for ears but, unless you're a bat, not the reverse.

 

You do get a nice well mannered dog for free though.

 

 

 

My friend's dog

 

 

 

Gman

[bigvalboy]

Unequivocally....Deaf. "A picture is worth a thousand words." The overwhelming amount of beauty in the world is visual."

[tyro]

I think I'd rather go deaf too...but not by much.

T

[AdamSmith]

Having already lost about half my hearing from auditory nerve degeneration, I would happily lose the rest of it if keeping my sight were the trade. For all the reasons MsGuy says. The adjustments are trivial compared with going blind.

[+ FreshFluff]

Deaf definitely but neither one would be easy.

[craigville beach]

My friend's dog

 

 

what a great looking dog. thanks for the picture

 

 

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

When I was younger, I wanted to be an actor. Ok actually I still want to be an actor. The main problem being I can't actually act. But anyway as I was saying, I wanted to be an actor. And at the time, I used to think it would be easier being blind because how could you act if you were deaf.

 

Gman

[+ WilliamM]

The main problem being I can't actually act.

 

I'm confused, Gman. Have you ever appeared on stage, learned lines and actually tried to act? Or is that not really your point???

[+ Gar1eth]

I'm confused, Gman. Have you ever appeared on stage, learned lines and actually tried to act? Or is that not really your point???

 

I'm not sure if it was the point or not. I mean it definitely wasn't the main point except to explain my feelings as teenager. But I guess the easiest way to explain would be to say that my acting skills are much like my karaoke skills. I have done both. But I do them-not by choice-very badly.

 

 

Gman

[thickornotatall]

I'm confused, Gman. Have you ever appeared on stage, learned lines and actually tried to act? Or is that not really your point???

maybe he meant he could still have mirror time and not have to listen to gobbledygook....but could still write it...

[+ Gar1eth]

maybe he meant he could still have mirror time and not have to listen to gobbledygook....but could still write it...

 

 

Once again please?!!!

 

Gman

[OneFinger]

I've thought about this for many years. And, as a sign language interpreter for the deaf, I can say I'd definitely take deafness over blindness.

 

Being blind you are significantly limited in the areas of jobs and mobility. But, being deaf, you have no mobility restrictions but some job restrictions.

 

I have very strong feelings for both those who are deaf or those who are blind. But I think blindness is the bigger challenge.

[+ purplekow]

Many members of my family have a genetic disease that produces progressive blindness. I grew up with aunts and uncles and a mother and sisters who were legally and then totally blind. I have several nephews and cousins in the same situation. All and all, they get along but mostly with the help of friends and family. Having to depend on others in that way would be difficult for me.

On the other hand, since I try to avoid listening to most people, deafness would be significantly easier, though I would miss the music and other beautiful sounds.

[sincitymix]

having experienced a spontaneous retinal detachment in my right eye a few months ago thank goodness I caught it as soon as it happened and had emergency surgery the very next day. a very nerve racking experience I do not wish to repeat again.. I would choose to go deaf.

[Guest]

I think I'd rather go deaf too...but not by much.

T

Wow. I would rather go deaf a million times over going blind. A deaf man can still enjoy sex, the outdoors, and can get around easily without the fear of killing himself. He can function quite independently. If I went blind, I would have to try to find a way to kill myself. No way I could handle it.

[AdamSmith]

Few months ago I took a laptop to Best Buy for some help from their Geek Squad. The guy who helped me was deaf. At his counter work area there was a keyboard and screen for me to use to communicate with him, which worked fine. He also had considerable lip-reading ability, it turned out.

 

Clearly blindness would have a devastating effect on one's employability, compared with these straightforward adaptations that let a deaf person function at work.

[+ sync]

I believe I could better adapt to deafness. One of my brothers is blind, and he is amazing with it. At a very early age he accepted it and adapted. I just know that I never could.

[+ WilliamM]

There's a revival of the musical "Spring Awakening" opening on Broadway in the fall for a likited run. Everyone in the show is deaf. "Spring Awakening" won a Tony Award for best musical about nine years ago. It will be good to see it again -- but without forum favorite Jonathan Groff this time.

[+ Gar1eth]

There's a revival of the musical "Spring Awakening" opening on Broadway in the fall for a likited run. Everyone in the show is deaf. "Spring Awakening" won a Tony Award for best musical about nine years ago. It will be good to see it again -- but without forum favorite Jonathan Groff this time.

 

 

I had read about this in the NYT . But if you don't mind a minor correction, I don't think all the actors will be deaf. It will be a mixture of deaf and hearing actors like the production of Big River years ago.

 

Gman

[Guest Starbuck]

For the last three years, my mother (now 95) has been living in my house. During that time, her hearing has steadily declined. She is now incorrectably deaf in one ear, wears a hearing aid only in the other ear and misses everything you say the first time--that first try is just to get her to look at you, then you have to repeat yourself while making eye contact.

 

(I can't say how much her deafness bothers her, but it's driving me slowly out of my mind.)

 

On the hand, her eyesight is good (and she still has all--or most--of her marbles). She is an avid reader, is most of the way through hand-making an Oriental rug and has other sight-requiring hobbies that occupy her. I can't imagine how she could tolerate her very old age without those pleasures.

 

My adventure in eldercare has persuaded me that (1.) I have no desire to make it to 95; (2.) If I can hang on to my brain for as long as I live, I'd find a way to adapt to other losses and indignities; but (3.) Given a choice, I'd cope better with the loss of my hearing than with the loss of sight.

[liubit]

Blind or deaf? Well, the obvious answer is "none of the above" but, if I had to choose, I would go with deaf, which seems to be the emerging consensus here. Yes, I would miss music, but I would still enjoy watching all those beautiful boys!

[+ Charlie]

My spouse's mother went deaf, but could still see well enough to drive (even though she shouldn't have, and we had to take away her car). She still managed to live independently, until senility made that impossible; I sometimes wondered if her loss of aural contact with the world accelerated her senile dementia. My mother went blind, but her hearing was excellent until her death at 102. Nevertheless, it meant that she became completely dependent on others, even though she had no loss of physical or mental competence.

 

I wouldn't want to have to deal with either condition, and if faced with both together, I am sure I would find a way to end my life. However, if I had to choose, I would go with deafness, because for me it would be less disorienting and disabling than blindness.

[AdamSmith]

Not to be too flip, but I find that partial hearing loss is helping my concentration. That is to say, now when I put in the hearing aids, I wonder how on earth people can think with all that racket.