“I am Deaf. I Read Lips. I Won’t Be Able to..."

I approached the TSA with words on my phone

I am writing this while sitting in an airport, about to board a plane.

I haven’t flown in so long that I didn’t realize how quickly I’d forgotten how to ‘ride the bicycle’.

I approached the TSA with words on my phone reading in bold: “I am Deaf. I read lips. I won’t be able to hear over head announcements. Thanks for understanding 🖤”

“Should I make sure to go voice off at the airport and let them know so I don’t risk TSA yelling at my back, or overhead announcement I can’t see?” I asked in a borderline rhetorical way, days before the trip, my Anxiety already having the answer.

“I think everything is automated now,” my partner said confidently- perhaps with too much belief in how accessible the world can be.

I asked my best friend who we call Deaf By Proxy- an ASL interpreter, former Deaf educator, current Occupational Therapist expert, and Essentially-a-CODA [given her proximity to Deaf culture and sign language growing up].

“100% yes,” she said, texting back so quickly I don’t know how she blinked, “There are so many auditory components of travel, and you deserve to have full access.” (I’m paraphrasing, but you get the gist.)

She ended up being more than right, as always.

At one point on the first flight, almost everyone who was awake on the plane slowly turned and began to stare at me.

I was utterly stupefied and confused and wondering if I was in the middle of a horror movie… and had no idea what had been said “overhead” to cause this sort of action.

As it turns out, I had won a few flyer points for that particular airline, and the flight attendants had excitedly announced it… likely waiting for a thrilled and grateful reaction.

(As you can imagine, I likely looked like a royal *sshat instead.)

Now, on the return flight, I am notifying the personnel with my phone with more confidence.

I’m sitting at the gate ready to board the plane and watching the woman working today smile at me every time I look up, giving me two Bill-style thumbs-up to silently reassure me she has my back.

It’s adorable and comforting and reassuring to know that people in the world want to help other people… they just have to know how.

As a kid and teen, I flew a few times “by myself” (in that very elementary hand-off way that we actually allow kids to fly “alone”)… But I never stopped being scared.

As a journalist and young mom, I flew occasionally when a $25 East Coast bus ticket couldn’t suffice at my work on fashion week press junkets or writer conventions and the like.

As a very, very sick person, I have flown to Arizona once for my experimental stem cell transplant… And now, over 10 years later, I see a neurosurgeon regularly who’s office has an entire floor for stem cells.

It seems so surreal that medicine that felt renegade when I tried it (or even was up for criticism despite using your own cells or adult donor cells) can now be displayed clearly- the words “stem cells” etched on a beautiful glass wall as if it’s been accepted all along.

I would use stem cells still, if I could, on my spine in particular. My surgeon talks to me about this often, but it’s not covered by insurance, so I have to turn him down immediately in favor of more invasive operations instead.

It’s funny how so much powerful change can happen in one area of life, like stem cell science… But airports, for example, are still only built for hearing.

People in the world want to help other people…

But for many of us? We can never stop being scared.

This will be the last piece I write before taking a brief holiday break.

I truly hope you can understand!

I care so enormously and never want to take you for granted.

If you’re freelance (and have decided to write almost every single day even when it’s not fiscally intelligent to do so but you still do because you’re here for other reasons):

It is very hard to discern when and how to take a holiday break?

But… if this travel themed writing is any indication (having the most amazing privilege of offering night shifts for an infant baby I’ll love for the rest of my life): I need one.

I could be wrong, but perhaps you need one too.

Writing as often as I do is meant to give you as much “bang for your buck” and show my commitment…

But it also means a palette cleanser and some time to recharge (‘tis the season) is hopefully good for all of us.

Your support, kindness, and caring as a Word Nerd helps provide incentive and purpose for an Emmersonian like me!

Thank YOU for this purpose, passion, place in life.

If you’re grumpy I’m not pulling my weight…

Here are some extra long and special and detailed pieces published previously that might make up for lost time:

First: A detailed, recent piece about pieces of my broken body and what it all means

Second: Answering tons of questions with tons of videos

Third: Super long personal post about mental health and cell phone breaks

Fourth: My most recent surgery (I think?) and that time I had Covid again

Fifth: That time I shared a fictional dypstian sickness novella as a thank you

Sixth: That time I randomly had secret surgery

Seventh: “What one body went through in less than 8 years”

Also, you can go see my latest columns at CF News Today which also goes on a quick, company-wide break around this time of year…

And if you need anything else, please reach out- I’m always here!

(Often slow to respond but I read every word and do as frequently as I can)

Once we return, I have a lot more special interviews with fascinating people lined up, and hopefully a lot more to share!

I’ll miss you!

xo

See you soon!

B