I used to feel really sorry for myself because of my disability. Now, I have come to accept it as a part of me. I have a 90 decibel hearing loss, so I wear a hearing aid. For the longest time, I would always wear my hair so that it would cover it. Now, I wear my hair short, and I show my aid off with a sense of pride that I never had before.

Sure, it plays a large role in my isolation and depression, but if someone said to me one day that they could give me perfect hearing, I probably wouldn't take it. I like my hearing the way it is. I like being able to turn off the rest of the world whenever it gets too loud. I like being able to sleep with no sound entering my ears.