Swimming Situations

One of my favorite things to do is go swimming with my friends, whether it is at the pool or the beach.  When I was in eight grade, I had a group of friends that consisted of about eight of us total.  We would go to the community pool every day of the summer, because that is just what you did back then if you were "cool".
Well, I desperately wanted to be cool, so I would go to hang out with these so-called friends every day.  I emphasize the "so-called" friends, as they were very inconsiderate to my hearing.
It was very hard work to stay connected with the conversation.  They did not do a good job of allowing me to see their mouths at all times to know what they were speaking.  If I would ask for them to repeat what they had just said, they would shrug it off, saying "Oh, do not worry about it, it was not important," when in fact I had missed an entire story that was relevant to what the new topic of conversation was.
I do not hang out with those girls anymore.  The friends I have now are extremely considerate of my feelings, and do an excellent job of helping me stay in tune with the conversation.

I do not mean to describe myself to be overly sensitive about it, as I am not. But many people need to learn when enough is enough when it comes to teasing me.  I tease myself often, and I find it funny.  But it is often a much different story when others attempt to tease me.

What do people ask me?

Were you born that way?
I was born profoundly deaf in both ears.

Can you hear out of your left ear?
I technically cannot hear out of either ear. However, the microphone located on my cochlear implant in my right ear catches some noise that comes to my left ear.  It can be funny when people try to whisper into my left ear, and all I feel is their breath going on my ear.

Do you sleep with your cochlear implant on?
I do not, lots of peace and quiet!!

How do you wake up?
My alarm does not make noise, but rather, I have a buzzer under my pillow that goes off.

"I Just Can't Be Mad at You for That"

Playing soccer on my college soccer team has many funny aspects due to my hearing.  One particular episode happened a few weeks ago during practice.  We were playing in a small scrimmage, and I was playing at the right back position.  The ball swings along the back line, and I was the last to receive it, and made a pass to a girl open in the middle of the field.  My coach immediately yells, "STOP!!!" I freeze, wondering what on earth I had done wrong.  He says to me, "Z, did you hear Hannah?" I said, "No, I didn't." The whole team laughs, and Coach himself ends up laughing.  Apparently, Hannah, when she passed me the ball, told me to turn to the outside and pass to a player out there.  I had done the complete opposite thing. After practice, Coach comes up to me laughing, and he is like, "I am sorry, I just couldn't be mad at you about that."  I'd say being deaf comes in handy once in a while, and can produce a much needed laugh.