Rebkeh's

The Circle October 31, 2008

Filed under: My Spiritual Beliefs — rebkeh @ 3:50 am
Tags: , , , ,

Cycles occur in nature repeatedly. Here are a few examples: seasonal patterns, planetary motion, atomic motion, the pattern of children becoming adults, who then have children that become adults, and so on. There is also the interconnectedness of earth’s inhabitants, water condensation to the sky where water rains to the ocean. The water then evaporates to become clouds and then rains to the ocean…. A nut becomes a tree which sheds nuts to become trees….The earth herself is round; the circle is a symbol of unity. We are one family after all. The circle is sacred in many of the Native American traditions, and you may notice that many things in their cultures are round. The circle is natural and the cyclical rhythms are intended to provide us with a way for us to live.

If you have ever had the opportunity to go to a peace gathering, a prayer ceremony, a Wiccan ritual, or other earth centered group event, you will see that everyone joins hands and forms a circle. There is a deep and profound reason for this. Not only does it unify us and remind us who we are, but it connects us to the earth and God. Our ancestors lived by the circle – by unity. We need to remember it. No one person, or nation, or race, or religion is going to fix any of the damage we have done. Many believe that God will intervene and we get to start over, and that may happen, but does that mean we get a free pass from consequences such as pollution right now? Somehow, I don’t think so. I believe God wants us to have personal responsibility for the planet. One answer to the planetary issue is the circle; it is sacred, and has many answers for us.

 

Y’hear? October 31, 2008

Filed under: My Deafness — rebkeh @ 3:03 am
Tags: , , , , ,

Contrary to common belief, there are varying degrees of deafness, and the ability to hear can fluctuate from person to person. We of this disability range from having a complete lack of hearing to a minor loss in one ear. Some of us can talk, some can’t, some can talk sometimes, some choose not to at all. Some can talk, but not hear very well. It can be very confusing and frustrating, but trust that it is more confusing and frustrating to be deaf in a hearing world.

Also, hearing aids add a whole ‘nother dimension to the experience of deafness. In many ways, it’s a saner choice to not use a hearing aid at all, and rely on sign language and live in the Deaf world.

Factors that influence the quality of aided hearing include:

  • one’s environment (the home is ideal)
  • the other person’s voice quality
  • location / proximity (on the best side for example)
  • background noise (the worst enemy of the hearing aid user)

To add yet another dimension to the experience of deafness, consider the complexity of single ear hearing. If a person is deaf in one ear, the other ear must compensate. Many assume that the two (normal) ears pick up sound identically – they don’t. The right ear may be ‘assigned’ certain sounds, while the left is assigned the rest of the sounds. If one is deaf in one ear, the functioning ear must try to pick up ALL of the sounds. As a result, the person relying one ear misses out on a lot of information.

When you meet a deaf or hard of hearing person, and this includes your great grandmother who is getting used to hearing aids, here are some ways to help them along:

  • Speak clearly. Clarity, not necessarily volume, is key.
  • Keep your face and mouth visible. Use facial expressions.
  • Be patient about repeating yourself – it is more frustrating to say “What?” over and over. Believe me.
  • Sometimes it is better to rephrase than repeat

These are a few tips that may help you pick up that cute deaf girl, or assist you with your fellow employee. In your congregation, the person next to you may be struggling so remember to be patient.

Just food for thought…..

Rebkeh