[Shotimes] Send a card to our military

[HomeboyNorm@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/20/2002 4:58:35 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
ianf@eden.rutgers.edu writes:

> Norm
> Are you deaf as well as mute? That is a tough twist of fate man. How old
> are you?
> 
> Ian
> 

Ian,

Yes, I am 'Mute', as how you put it, as well as deaf, but that is not because 
I can not vocalize. That is by choice, I stopped doing speech therapy when I 
was a younger boy, thinking that if my family and friends were deaf too I 
would not need to learn how to speak. Of course, after some years passed by, 
I came to my realization that it was a mistake on my part as I do not live in 
a 'deaf' world but a hearing one. I just did not know any better then, I 
spent 11 years growing up at a boarding deaf school (Florida School for the 
Deaf and Blind), living on a campus where almost everyone could sign, I just 
didn't think about the 'real' world. I could always resume on the speech 
therapy to learn how to speak, but I choose not to. Majority of my friends 
are deaf and for those who aren't, they know the American Sign Language, so 
the going is alright.

I am 24 years old, and have been deaf since birth. Sure, it may be a tough 
twist of fate, but considering that I was born deaf, I find it to be normal 
or at least for myself. I do not know the life any other way, you know? To be 
honest with you, I would rather be deaf and to be able to do pretty much 
almost everything what a normal person can do (like to fix and drive my 
SHOs), than to be off with a worse disablity (I don't consider myself 
disabled anyway but technically speaking). My deafness can only either make 
or break me, and I can assure you that it will not break me. But to make me 
into something.

Smile..

Norm

'89 red/mocha MTX SHO (maybe a 3.2L car soon - Got 2 in my garage)
'93 black/black MTX SHO (Should I 3.2L it too?)
'93 red/gray ATX SHO (parting out)
'99 black/characol Mustang SVT Cobra