Navigating the World Without Sound: Samantha’s Perspective

Today I’m sharing an interview with a charismatic and joyful friend I have connected with recently through our local crunchy moms group. I have been encouraged by Samantha’s transparency about her faith, motherhood, and life in general – I also realized just how little I know about what life is like for those who are deaf. She has graciously agreed to share her story and has a very fun sense of humor that I know you will enjoy! Without further ado, here is the interview!

Can you give a brief introduction about yourself – background, interests, passions, etc?

• Hi, my name is Samantha! So I grew up in Florida, a “city” girl, did not like the outdoors, you know, typical lol. But God had a different plan for me and my family! We live in the country trying to homestead (it’s not for the faint of heart, I will tell ya that) we have GOATS! Nobody warned us that they are gateway animals! lol. I’m sure every mom has had this happen but I am still trying to figure out my hobby; it went away after having kids. But I promise I’m working on it! But I LOVE helping others. I LOVE putting a smile on others’ faces. It truly brings me joy.

How did you get interested in crunchy living and when did you come to know the Lord?

• Honest truth – COVID lol. It had me questioning the government so that’s when I went down the rabbit hole. I saw that the hygiene products that I was using were extremely toxic, such as potentially causing cancer!!! And the FOOD too. My husband and I struggled to conceive with our firstborn for 4 years, and then we finally got pregnant via IUI after 4 failed cycles. When we went down the rabbit hole after our firstborn (COVID happened), we started eating better and using non-toxic hygiene products. I lost 80 lbs and my husband lost 100 lbs and we got pregnant with our second right away. We are extremely fertile, hahaha! That just shows that what we consume affects our fertility.
• I came to know the Lord when I was in high school serving elementary kids at deaf daycare at church after school. I grew up Catholic but we didn’t really talk deeply about the Lord. It was more of like a ritual thing. But the daycare that I would serve at, was a Christian church and one of the staff members talked to me about Jesus. All of a sudden, I had this tingling feeling throughout my body (I know this sounds strange) and I told another staff member about it and she said it was very much possible that my heart was convinced to open up to Jesus. I immediately dropped down and asked Jesus into my heart. I cried with JOY. I have NEVER experienced this feeling before, it was an amazing feeling! Now, don’t get me wrong, I struggle with my walk often, it’s part of living in a fallen world, but Our Lord is so faithful and loving.

You mentioned that your husband is hearing – how was dating in this aspect? Did he know ASL when you met or did he learn after he met you?

• So I always grew up in the “hearing” world. I’m the only deaf person in my family. So meeting him as a hearing person was not surprising. Now he did NOT know ASL BUT he bought a “sign language for dummies” book because he was ADAMANT that he was going to make me his girlfriend lol. He tried to impress me. After a year of being friends, he FINALLY convinced me to give it a try and I will say I’m HAPPY I did! So he learned more when we started dating. He has never made me feel different because I was deaf, nor made me feel like a burden. He’s a blessing! We have a system that works for us, such as he’s the one that handles phone calls, etc. and I handle in-person interactions if I’m able to understand. If not, then I tag him to come in.

Do you feel like when people realize that you are deaf they treat you differently, either good or bad? Does it make it more difficult to make friends or do you feel everyone is accepting and it doesn’t make a difference?

• I have been made fun of in the past because of how I speak (I have a deaf accent) and it hurts, but it’s ok, they were ignorant. I have had people not want to be my friends because they didn’t want to deal with accommodating me. There are times when I don’t feel comfortable meeting hearing people because sometimes I’m unable to read their lips, which makes it difficult to communicate and for that person to understand me. So I usually just go with the expectation of that happening and trust in the Lord that things will work out the way they should.

What was the pandemic like for you? Was it more challenging to communicate when people were masked and lip reading was not possible (assuming they didn’t know ASL)?

• Oh my goodness, I will be honest, the pandemic was RIDICULOUS. People were so afraid to remove their masks. It was honestly one of the most challenging times for me to the point that I didn’t go out by myself with my child anymore until they removed the requirement of wearing a mask. There have been times when someone literally doesn’t remove their mask even after I explain that I depend on lip reading for communication. To be honest, that really made me look at people differently because I saw a lack of empathy and more self-centeredness.

What is something that is a challenge for you that those who are hearing may not be aware of?

• Just because I can lip-read doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s actually very exhausting to the point where my vision becomes blurry at the end of the day, no exaggeration, and sometimes I get a headache. People get so wrapped up in “Oh, she can lip read so that’s good enough”. NO, it’s exhausting to constantly read lips. My brain goes into overdrive sometimes, so I limit time with people who don’t show interest in learning some signs or being accommodating to where I’m not rushing to catch up on the conversation.

Is it true that your senses are heightened?

• YESSSS! I can smell ANYTHING! lol I know when people fart even when they try to hide it. My husband can’t hide his farts or burps lol. It’s actually more sensitive like I can’t stand that smell lol.

What misconceptions do you think people have about those who are deaf?

• Just because one person can’t lip-read doesn’t mean all deaf people can’t. People seem to think all deaf people are the same lol. Nope. Same for hearing people. Just because one hearing person is this way doesn’t mean all hearing people are the same. Some deaf people don’t use their voice, etc. Every person is different 🙂

Anything else you’d like to share?

• Thank you for having me on here! It was so nice to answer these questions! If you are interested in earning profits from your home, check out my Instagram page (@mamaonthejourney) or my website (psst, you don’t have to talk on the phone) 🙂

Emily again! I hope you have enjoyed learning a little about what life is like for those who are deaf and navigate the world without sound. I don’t personally know many deaf people, so this was eye-opening for me, especially hearing her describe the toll that lip reading can take on her body! Also, if you’re interested in learning sign language, Samantha let me know that these would be a good starting point!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop any questions or comments below and be sure to check out Samantha’s Instagram – you won’t be disappointed 🙂