Where I Need to Be

The Path I Almost Did Not Choose by Finijo

I had every intention of going to the Arboretum yesterday on my day off and snapping some pictures. The day got away from me and I didn't have time to drive there before I had to go get Connor, so I took an hour and went to Newcastle Park.

Skull Tree by Finijo

I only snapped a few pictures when a little boy came over and started talking to me as I sat on a bench to get a shot of a small pond. I looked around for his mother and noticed that she was pretty far away pushing his little sister on the swings in another part of the park. I also noticed he was wearing hearing aids, so we talked a little about sign language (he knew some, but not much).

Mosquito Hatchery by Finijo

Eventually, his mother noticed he was sitting next to a strange woman in the park and she made her way over to where we were sitting. Immediately, my new friend James said, "Mom, this lady works with death people." His mom (Kim) and I started talking about his deafness and it turned out that she had a lot of concerns about his future and I was able to put her mind at ease a little just by sharing information I had .

James by the Pond by Finijo

James' father is having some difficulty accepting the condition, which is not uncommon, but does make the situation a little more tense for him and the rest of the family. I gave James' mother my number and told her to call me if she has any questions or just needs some resources. Since I left the field two years ago, I have found myself in similar situations, giving out free advice about community resources and about how to deal with hearing loss in grocery stores, parking lots, and at the library. I miss working with the deaf/hard of hearing, but I think somehow I always end up being where I need to be.