So here's the back story: When I was around... 9? I was visiting my aunt in San Francisco. We were at a bakery and I was looking in the case deciding what I wanted when this 30-something year old woman comes up right behind and yells something I couldn't make out. I thought she was yelling at me and nearly pissed my pants out of fear. I ran behind my mom faster than I ever knew I could run. Well, as it turns out, she was deaf, and I guess just trying to say hi, or was excited about the cupcakes. I'm not sure, but thus began my fear of deaf people.
It's easy enough to ignore this fear, especially in a work setting. Never ever would I let this fear show when helping a deaf customer, because that would just be rude. So what this adds up to is now at the ripe old age of 23 I have had no more scary deaf people incidents.
Until last Wednesday that is.
I was on the Amtrak [yes, the life ruiner] on the way home to Santa Barbara, when I heard these creepy noises from a few seats back. I quickly realized it was a deaf guy trying to communicate to his friend and tried to just block it out. However, since I was sitting there alone and feeling a bit childish since I was holding a Build-A-Bear, my memory immediately took me back to that day in the bakery. Well, I decided to try and just ignore the sounds, and managed to do a pretty good job. Then finally we got to my stop. No sooner than I had picked up my bag did I realize someone else was holding onto it too. Immediately the fear came rusher back but even more intensely as a realized the person on the other end was the deaf guy. He asked me if I needed help and I replied as politely as I could that I did not. He didn't let go. He asked me again. Again I said no. Still holding on he asked me a third, slightly more aggressive time. I answered "I said no please let me go!" Finally, his friend yells at him to sit down. I got off the train as fast as I possibly could.
So there you have it, it may not be politically correct, but I can't help the things and people my life experiences have made me afraid of!
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