June 4, 2008

Communicating

I wonder how many of us take for granted our ability to speak to communicate with others?

I know for me, I use a variety of techniques to communicate, but speaking is something I think we take for granted until we no longer have the ability to do so, such as when we are ill, or in my friend's case, when you have a condition known as Spasmodic Dysphonia.

What would you do if you could no longer be understood by others in normal, everyday settings? Imagine not being able to be understood by people over the phone. Or when ordering at a restaurant. Or in the store with a normal, everyday purchase. Or with friends at a picnic, or church. Imagine how difficult life then becomes when you can no longer communicate with others in this fashion.

My friend (IRL = in real life) Kelly has a form of Spasmodic Dysphonia which greatly affects her ability to speak and be understood. For a vivacious, outgoing, personable lady, this has turned her world topsy-turvy and she's learning new ways to reach out and still communicate.

Please visit her blog to learn more. And if you're so inclined and do so before 6 pm (Mountain Time) on June 6th, and leave a comment, you'll be entered into her contest to receive a $20 Starbucks gift card.
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5 comments:

Susan said...

When I get sick, it almost always goes to my throat. I spent a year with near constant laryngitis, sometimes of such severity that I could make NO sounds, not even a whisper, for days on end.

It was eye-opening. The kids would have to help me with the phone, being my voice to tell the other person what I either wrote or gestured to the kids to pass along. Things got very very quiet in the house in response to my quietness.

But the thing that hurt was when I couldn't talk at symposium. Loads of friends were around, but I couldn't respond. I wanted to be part of the conversation. Friends wanted to include me. But my inability to answer anything other than shaking/nodding my head soon made people quite uncomfortable trying to talk to me. I got really really left out, and I don't blame the people talking to me one bit. Even though I could hear, even though I could enjoy their conversation and company, even though I was smart enough to understand what was being discussed, it was very easy to end up being treated like I was a dummy not capable of joining in. And I kept wondering, "How often do I do this to other people, such as those who can't hear or who struggle with English as a second language?"

June 4, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Anonymous said...

Awwwwww... thank you so much! You have such a way of saying things that really minister to my heart! You are such a wonderful friend and a gifted encourager!

June 4, 2008 at 3:19 PM
AmusedMomma said...

Susan, I was actually thinking of you as I posed some of the questions in the post as I can recall times when you have asked for prayer, or share about, when your voice wasn't strong enough to read aloud to the kids.

I think Kelly can attest to the being left out part you talked about too.

June 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Gina said...

Susan you just summed up a lot of what life is like for our little boy. He is so darn smart but since he can't talk people often think he is either a baby, mentally retarded or rude. It's so hard to watch him struggle with this, but I see in him that he realizes which people get it that he's very smart and which ones don't. At this point we are all learning sign as fast as possible and helping him to learn alternate ways to communicate, but still as long as he can't talk I can see where the hurdles in life are going to be rather high.

June 7, 2008 at 10:46 AM
AmusedMomma said...

Gina, I should have thought of you too, when I wrote this, but I didn't. Somehow I missed that John doesn't communicate with this voice. I pray this will be a challenge that's easily and practically overcome with sign language. However, the larger world's ability to understand sign language will probably be limiting as well since John can't communicate with those who don't understand that.

Is John over his ear infection?

June 8, 2008 at 9:49 AM

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