Being deaf implies...

 What a mess right now!

Oh yes! We undergo again and always more! Those with in-the-ear hearing aids are (almost) not concerned by this article. But we who have so-called "tour d'oreille" devices, it is a real disaster!

Those who don't have a hearing problem, good for you. These masks, which are already useless (they don't even keep us warm in winter!), push us even further into the entrenchments of loneliness. It's simple, isn't it? If I put on the mask, I can't put on my braces (masks with elastic around the head, very little for me, it's useful, it breaks the hair and it gets stuck in the back of the neck...). No thanks!). They sometimes have to hold by themselves (even with the glasses, I have to be careful with the risk of damaging them and we know how expensive it is and how badly it is taken care of). Result, I don't wear them, as long as the person who speaks to me also has a mask, I win everything! I don't understand, I don't answer and I'm called asociable! Believe me, I can make her repeat a thousand times, as long as she doesn't put it down to talk to me, it's not even worth it, I wouldn't understand a thing!

You're going to say to me: "But then, how do you do it when you have appointments?". It's simple. I explain to the person and in this case we prefer the telephone or videoconference. When it is not possible for X reasons, I set my conditions (otherwise I just don't go, it would be useless but I hadn't had to deal with this kind of behavior). 2 options are possible: either I come without a mask, in which case I can put on my hearing aids, or the person takes off their mask to talk to me. Often the 2nd option is chosen, the person being delighted to finally be able to take off the mask for a moment, as they have been sticking it on their nose since the morning.

We often forget this kind of handicap. It is a real ordeal for us. I am not going to write on my mask: "attention, I am deaf"! It would be really ridiculous. Let's hope that we can find a normal life again and remove these monstrosities which prevents us from breathing clean air!