A little bit more of my mainstream days and my life.

G'day Everyone.

You know what? When I hear everyone speaking about "audism" or "stop audism" or whatever what "audism" is, I wish everyone would FUDGETABOUTIT! (Forget about it!).

Audism isn't what audism is. It's more of the social attitudes of people (hearing and DEAF!) out there.

In my mainstream days, back in the Lister B. Forman Center (B.O.C.E.S.) that I told you about in my previous post ago : http://thedeafsherlock.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-mainstream-shaped-my-life.html, every student is working together to help pull each other up and make a good grade in our lives. Even disable students are working together.

But get put in to this hearing school district with some support services? That may be all right, but hearing peers look at you like I was some lost "village idiot" because you haven't been around them all their lives. I was lucky in life to grow up with some hearing friends from my neighborhood that went to the same school with me. But we were in different class rooms and different schedules.


When it comes to gym, yeah, I get picked dead last. I remember the first time it happen. Especially when it comes to kick ball and soft ball. When I got picked, the other team laughed because they said "the idiot is easy out". That changed when I was up on the team.

In kick ball (indoors) I could kick that ball *HARD*. In two different gyms of the school buildings, various parts of the gym lights got smashed. In one episode, the one time a gym ball smashed into a light and EXPLODED! (ooh cool show!) Which prompted a fire alarm! (free time from classes!). After 2 more being picked dead last and the same repeat of the epic ball sailings (which leads to the team winning), I get popular enough to be put on any kick ball team. Outside? You better run for that ball I kick because it's going to go SKY HIGH and FAR! (quarter mile at the most).

In softball, indoors, I became a "Dennis the menace". Windows? who needs windows? I could hit a ball hard. I forget easy. I was told to swing easy indoors. But when that bat is in my hand, that ball is going to be *PUNISHED*. When I was picked dead last 2 times, and students thought I'm *easy out*, boy jaw drops more than you can count. In my life time, I broke more gym windows and lights than I ever did in kick ball.
But softball outside, BYE BALL! It's gone! I loved to play home base and first base.


The one sport I wanted to play on the most was football. But when you ask the school district and the State of NY? They said no. It's sad that my parents didn't fight for me. I play neighborhood pick up football and man, the games are fun. It is sad that school districts don't realize that deaf people *CAN* play football! Look at all the deaf schools and Gallaudet University today. We *STILL* play football!

The one last thing I wanted to explain. I don't mind being played tricks on me. But in life, I've had a lot of hearing people trying to test me to see if I'm really deaf. Just like in school, in a hearing college, and at my previous job I've worked, I've had people literally stand behind me and say something in a low voice which they think I can't hear them. In more than one occasions, I've been known to turn around suddenly and SCARE the hell out of that person.

In more than once in my life, when I'm having a bad day, I've been able to punch a person behind me without a second thought. I don't like to do it, but when I get pissed off, I will. I've often told people to approach me from the front. But if they need to tap me from behind, they better step back a bit.

One thing I like about myself. I've been known to scare both hearing and the deaf. I don't care how heavy I am. Most people don't hear my footfalls until I'm literally right behind them. I've scared a lot of them and most say *quit doing that*. So I try to make a little noise, but just doesn't help. *SIGH*

If people are not going to socially respect each other, then it's a problem for everyone. Bullies are the worst, yes. A few have tried to beat me up in school, but I've fought back at times and trashed them.
I've had a bad roommate in a townhouse long ago. This was a guy who abused my home, my roommates, and beat me up twice in my life. This is the person who I would label him a TRUE AUDIST! That is his label for the rest of his life. There are many others who I would label a true audist too.

Ok. I said enough. Now wait for my book to come out some day. (if I ever get it done)

Semper FI.