Kristopher

My name is Kristopher Morris, and I am profoundly deaf without hearing aids.

I like to be known as Fantasy Writer. When I was young before age of three, I was full of life and as they call me 'the cutest little thing'. I wasn't able to speak correctly which my mother noticed, when she took me to the doctor, and they found that my inner ear has ear infection, and it cause me deaf. I never learn what DEAF means as child but to continue to live forward as deaf kid in kindergarten with FMs.

I wasn't only deaf in school since I have two friends that are deaf. Then into First grade, one of them moved to another school, and I had only one left. I was often mistreated by certain kids because I was 'different' and some of them said that I don't belong to their school. I didn't understand why I wasn't belong there but learned my deafness is the reason why they said that. I blamed it for it I admit, and I blamed myself also. I have a counselor who helped me adapt to it, and a friend that I needed. I did make friends because they were in my class, and they learned a lot about me being deaf. I grew accustom to my deaf by learning more sign language, PSE (Pidgin Signed English) especially I learned it in preschool with my other five deaf friends (We split up after preschool to different school).

As time goes by, certain teacher in First Grade teacher been bit of abusive only by grabbing me by the arms and very frustrated with me because the teacher couldn't deal with me, and myself as deaf. I taught myself that I was definitely a misfit because I didn't undertand why it happened to me, or what does my deaf has to do with this. Then it happened again in third grade, a interpreter grabbing me the arms to demand my attention to her and force me to correct the way I sign certain alphabet, and the interpreter never like the way I sign the days, for example, Monday; with form the hand by three fingers with thumb bend under them and pinky finger down by the thumb and move it circular to yourself. She force me to turn it face to her which she tells me that it was correct way to do it, and tells me that I was wrong. At that time, I started to rebel against those who tells me what to do, to be honest I hated authority (Not the police or against the law, mind you!) I get upset so often when an adult commanded me to do something or expect me to do it. My biggest question started to form here as child, "Why am I deaf?"

My whole family is hearing but me. My mother only thing that understood me, and she never learn to sign because she had me to take Speech Therapy, and Sign because she believe that I have the best of both worlds. Back to the point, my mother blew the roof off when she saw the bruises covering my arm and took a picture of it to prove it. She went off at the principal but nothing happens, so my counselor found this school, VSDB (Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind:

I enter VSDB again in third grade. I remember it was amazing to see those kids signing, and I understood them quickly. I found someone to be with, and able to chat with them in language that I understood. I even remember the classmates gave me my own sign name, a K on the either chest that similar to sign Lazy. I grew to learn about my own culture, and of being deaf. I was still rebellious and hard to deal with because of the way I used to be treated. But as times goes by, it breaks down, and I gotten improved because I have this wonderful counselor who sees me every Weds. He was able to understand what I was going through. I grew in making friends, and my experience.

Around my high school years, I started to feel that I don't belong in this world because of certain people in hearing world I encountered started to look at me different because the way I speak, and they didn't know how to communicate with me. It was hard because I have hard time understanding people because they all have different voices for me to recognize and to learn from. They often ask me if I was from different country which it a surprising for them when they learn I was born in Virginia.

Well, I was blessed to be myself since I work in Walgreens, and I work with people everyday in Photo, and with Customers Services. I have many people who enjoy me working there, and always thanking me for my help. I always tell them I am happy to help and it my job. I don't like to disappoint them, and I like to brighten their day by smiling. I have co-working who taking ASL (America Sign Language) I learned it late in High School in Senior. And he learning quickly and like to practice his ASL on me and I teach him correct way if he forgotten. AND I encounter hearing people who learn to sign when they were in high school.

I have niece and nephew. My niece currently learn some signs from me and I love to teach them if they ask me. And I have some co worker wanted to know some signs. So I thought about it, I get to teach them something about Deaf.

The question, "Why Am I Deaf?" The answer is different because it depends on you. For me I think it wonderful and I have advantage of it. Yes, being Deaf is hard, and it made us stronger. The advantage I have is that I don't have to hear a truck come by my house with roaring engines, or a thunderstorm waking you up in the middle of night. If someone screaming at me, I just turn my hearing aids off. Sign Langauge is my friend as I like to believe it because I don't have to ask you second time if I don't get it right, and it hard to explain because it the best thing that ever happened to me. When I look back as child, I don't regret for what I used to feel like because it what I learned from the start, I thought being Deaf was cursed, but it allow me to learn, and grow stronger to have a Deaf Pride, and I still have it.

I count Deaf as blessing, and it my gift that I like to expose to the world, I can't hear so what, that doesn't stop me from what I like to do, to enjoy helping people, and to write. Signing is a gateway to Deaf world as Speaking to the Hearing world. I have the best of both worlds. I might be known as deaf writer, deaf guy, but in any possible way, I am Deaf and I am Proud!