Take a moment to journey back to your own childhood. Recall the very essence of being a child—the inherent fondness for noise and ceaseless movement. You couldn't sit still for long; humming the latest cartoon theme song or joyfully belting out a nursery rhyme, like an irresistible ear-worm, was your daily anthem. If your mother's attention wavered, you'd resort to shouting, your voice piercing the airwaves. Ordinary days consisted of shouts and exhilarated races down echoing hallways. Television sets blared, intentionally disrupting the tranquility of silence. The harmonious cries of children at play served as background music, a constant reminder of the clamor that defined your youth. The only respite from the incessant noise was the hush that enveloped the house when the children were tucked into bed. This was the bedrock of your childhood—the noisy, boisterous, and spirited world that you navigated with bold enthusiasm. It would be nice getting to hear from the deaf community as we try to understand what was fun for them and what does childhood memories involve.
In the Oscar Award Winning movie Child Of Deaf Adults (CODA),the main character gives the background story of how it was being raised by deaf parents. As there was no one to talk to in the house, she had a difficult time when she started going to school since it was the first time she was exposed to a noisy world that did not make extensive use of vibration, as it is the only way the deaf perceive sound.
The scene made me understand how different childhood experiences are for the deaf or their immediate families.