Chance's poem about what it is like being deaf

This weekend was the annual speech fair run by the Utah chapter of The Alexander Graham Bell Association.

Chance has been participating in these speech fairs for years.

The program always starts with the little kids, those in preschool.  They perform as a class and recite a poem they have learned, or sing a song together.  These are little deaf kids whose teachers have worked and worked with them on pronunciation and learning the words for their performance.   Some of them are pretty scared up there in front of a room full of people.  Some are little hams that love to be able to show off and loudly do their part.

Before they start their performance, the teachers have the kids say their names.  Some are easier to understand than others, but the parents of older kids like us, all agreed that the kids this year were easier to understand than our kids had been when they were three.  Part of this is due to early intervention and the fact that babies are getting implants earlier than our kids did, so they are hearing even better at an earlier age.
It seems like just yesterday that we were sitting in the audience watching 3 year old Chance perform.  Some years he was more shy than other years.  Some years he was easier to understand than other years.

I remember one year when Chance had been attending the School for the Deaf for 3 or 4 years.  His class was doing a presentation about Abraham Lincoln.  Chance had a tall black hat on and we had been working on the "t" sound with his teacher.  That sound was one that Chance could not hear that well and he often left it out.  The issue was compounded by the fact that in our region, dropping the "t" sound or saying it really soft was becoming quite common.  When people said, "mountain" for instance, it sounded more like mou'ain with a very soft t sound.  We were trying to help Chance learn to identify and say a sound that society around him was dismissing.

I had tears in my eyes as I watched those little preschoolers perform.  Chance has come so far and has surpassed our expectations.

Chance's first goals when he started preschool  at the School for the Deaf was to turn and respond to his name.  His teacher was really working on that with him.  He then graduated to saying three word sentences. At three years old.  We have come a long way baby.  Due to this fact, I felt that before Chance read his poem and did his skits for the group, that I should give a very brief introduction about where Chance started out.  The parents of the little kids just starting out don't know Chance.  They have no idea of the transformation in his ability to hear and talk that has taken place.  I wanted them to know how far he had come because I wanted to give them hope for the future of their own little ones.  When Chance was little, I wanted to see older deaf kids.  I wanted to see how they were talking, if they were integrated with their peers, if teaching them to hear was working for them.

I gave only a brief introduction telling the parents that when Chance started this journey, one of the goals was to get him to recognize and respond to his own name etc.  Then I turned the time over to Chance and let him talk and show people how far he has come himself.

Chance got up and read his poem with good rhythm and flow.  He brought chuckles and knowing nods as he talked about what it is like being deaf.

After his poem, Chance and one of his deaf friends that has been one of his best friends since their preschool days did a few skits.  They. Were. Hysterical.

After all of the performances, there were cookies for dessert.  When Chance was getting his cookie, a woman came up to him and told him that he did a great job on his poem and that she couldn't even tell he was deaf.  She said he didn't have a deaf accent.  Then she said, "I hope my son does as well as you someday."

Chance said,"There is always hope."  Then he said she walked away and he thinks she was crying.

Oh dear mom of a little deaf one, there is indeed hope.  It is hard when they are so young to envision what their language will be like in the future.  You just love your little ones so much and you want to know that they are going to be alright and that they will be happy.

Yes, fellow mom, there is hope.  Lots and lots of hope. There will be lots and lots of work, but you will see some day in the future, how well your child is doing and know that there is hope and happiness and success and incredible milestones that are overcome.  Hang in there, you can do this.

Here is Chance's poem about being deaf:  (We'll upload the video this week)

What it is like to be Deaf

By Chance and Taunya Paxton

Some people seem to wonder what it’s like being deaf

So I would like to tell you all a little about myself.

In the morning when I wake up, I can’t hear a thing

But that never really stops me from starting in to sing!

My siblings don’t really like it in the morning when I can’t hear,

But I like to wake up a bit, and then put on my ears.

In the morning, my parents sometimes try to tell me to hurry,

But without implants I can’t hear them, so I don’t have to worry

At scout camp, I can go to sleep without a single care,

And I don’t have to worry if that noise outside’s a bear.

In the tent, I can sleep through ghost stories and more,

I do need help waking for up breakfast, that is what friends are for

I listen to music through headphones just like every other teens

My headphones just cost more, as I let the music stream

Should my older brother and I get into a little tiff,

I can just tune him out, with a simple little click

I can have silent time and just let my mind wander,

With my implants off, I can think and ponder.

I’m on the city swim team, and in water I take flight,

While the others hear a horn, I watch for a strobe light.

At school I tried out and made the soccer team,

I am a lean, mean, bilateral, implant wearing machine.

Occasionally an implant has fallen off out onto the grass,

But I pick it up real quick, and then just run extra fast.

I like school most of the time and I usually hear just fine,

But if I should miss something, cute girls can be so kind.

I really do like school and working for good grades,

Working hard and challenges have never made me afraid.

I may be deaf, but that will never ever stop me,

From being exactly who and what I want to be.

Some people wonder what it is like being deaf in both ears,

I am just like anyone else and do things like my peers

I just have a super power that others don’t possess,

I can choose to turn off my ears when I want a little rest.