You realize Frank is working within an unusual perspective, right? He's deaf. I can see his point of view, when at a large gathering with people talking in conversations all around him. I'd read, too, in his situation, just to keep my sanity, rather than try to follow multiple conversations.
Thank you so much for telling me that bit of information Flame.
I am trying to put myself in the position of someone either hearing or sight impaired and how I have seen others handle that situation.
Loosing ones sight is something I do not comprehend, when power is lost in the middle of the night in complete darkness, just getting to the bathroom without smacking into a wall, fall over the cat or dog, seems to take forever. Were I to have to socialise with no sight, in public, all depends on the age I lost my sight, must take courage and true guts.
I do have a bit of experience with hearing problems.
10 hours a day for 21 years working in a very high noise area wearing both ear plugs and the ear muffs over them. Excruating trying to communicate with anyone, everyone repeats themselves 3 or more time, we do learn to lip read and look like a room full of French Men arguing as hands and arms fly, point or gesture.
Subconsciously we learn to read body language of our supervisors and can tell at a distance just by their stance how they feel about someone they are speaking with. We have learned to tell in a heart beat when they are lying to us or insencere in or out of the noise area.
They say that with the loss of one sense the others kick in big time, this I believe as without the distraction of noise, the eyes can pick up a world of information about inter relationships that one will miss when processing words and inflection.
Actually a person who cannot hear in a social gathering has one up on those who do hear, no distractions just observations, they can pick out what couple are having an affair, the couple that are headed for divorce, the bully's and the butt lickers.
I believe Frank is passing up a chance to become a student of human nature and learn more from his own observations then by reading any book. Body language is the same in all cultures, he could dine with 9 people speaking Russian and he would know more about the individuals then someone that can speak the language and hear.
By the way I have known a couple, the man was a radio man in the navy about 35 years ago. His wife because of an accident lost all but perhaps 20% of her hearing.
He taught her Morse Code and would translate to her through tapping on her palm what people around them were saying. She because she could not tell if she was whispering or shouting would return her thoughts to him by the same means. Ingenious, easy to master, and was amazing to behold. They got it down to the point I see today is called text messaging short hand of sorts. [ no pun intended ]
