I'll huff and bluff and huff...

If you've ever seen the movie Life is Beautiful/La vita e Bella, you'll know that the main character basically bluffs his way through a Nazi Concentration Camp. Back in high school when the movie came out (yes, that was a while ago!) I found myself relating to the movie on so many levels.

Photo Credit: www.rogerebert.com

First, it showed me that while the world seems big, bad and scary, we too can make our own sunshine amidst the darkness. Even if it means bluffing your way through tough times.


Second, Guido Orefice, played by the wonderfully talented Roberto Benigni, used his make-believe environment to ensure the safety of his son, Joshua. Such innocence is precious and must be, at all costs, protected.

Third, fourth, and yada yada yada: With the premise of the movie chronicling the bravery of Guido, it showed me that bluffing can work to one's advantage. I'll never forget that scene where he tells Joshua to sit in a sweatbox until everyone has left (because then, at that point he would be the winner of the game). Wait it out. Wait it out. That's what I always try to tell myself. I've done a lot of waiting it out in my life.

I've waited, sometimes not always patiently, for...
-My brain to figure out what the heck that sound was (I think there's a 60 second delay or more)
-For my eyes to accurately lipread what someone says. Come to think of it, Elephant Shoes can be a super confusing line to read. (if you don't know why, think hard...)
-Someone to realize that I have a hearing loss. You'd be surprised to hear how many people think I come from a strange and foreign country. Only problem is, English is my 1st language ha!

Bluffing isn't exactly healthy for the HOH.
Bluffing can be healthy sometimes for a HOH.
Sometimes.

Why am I bringing your attention to bluffing? For starters, I don't think I would be where I am today if it weren't for bluffing. 

Cue scenario from my early 20's, during my co-op interview with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (which was done via video conferencing...):

Interviewers (there were 5 of them! Yikes!): Tell us what you know about CIC.
Me: *I definitely didn't hear the question - but I only heard the words: know and CIC* (and in hindsight, I SHOULD have asked them to repeat the question. However, out of fear and embarrassment, I decided against to do the sensible thing). I give my answer and hope for the best.

Interviewers: Can you expand on so-and-so?
Me: *What the heck are they asking me? I didn't get that* I say - "sorry, the video feed got garbled there for a second, I didn't hear what you said" (a bit of a white lie... there was absolutely nothing wrong with the video feed!)

Those are just two examples of bluffing - fortunately for me, I got the co-op position, much to my parents' dismay (they didn't want me spending four months in Ottawa!). However, bluffing won't always work. That's why I emphasize and encourage the usage of bluffs occasionally. I do not advise bluffing in life or death situations - that's a big no no.

Bluffing is a way for HOHs to cope with the emotional stresses that come with listening to our noisy, loud world. Sometimes we don't want to give away the impression that we're incapable of understanding things. It's just that we're human. We want to be seen as equals, not as persons with disabilities. Further, I don't always want to admit that my hearing is pretty bad, and so I bluff to coax myself into getting more involved in awkward situations (meeting new people is an example). 

So, to anyone who is a HOH or a parent of a HOH child, please email me at monique.les85@gmail.com - I want to hear your bluffing stories! It would be a great future blog post (I think).