A Year With Masks

Well, what is there to say? I’ve been trying to write this post for months, ready to post on the 24th of July this year, to mark a year, but it’s taken me until now to figure out how to put everything into words everything I want to say. So please just stay with me through to the end, even if it ends up being a whole jumble of rubbish!

A lot has happened in a year – well just over a year now but we get the gist. 24th of July 2020, I remember the date clearly, I think I always will.

When a memory popped up on Facebook of my post on the 14th of July 2020, when the announcement was first made about them becoming compulsory. I remember I’d been worried about it happening, but everyone kept telling me, “Don’t worry it will never happen”, but more and more people already were even before the announcement. I wanted to be prepared, but how do you prepare for something you’ve never had to experience? How do you predict how you or others will react?

That first day was quite possibly the most physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting day I have ever experienced. I did an eight-and-a-half-hour shift, after not a great night sleep because I’d been so worried, starting at 07:00. Yet I’d still underestimated how hard it was going to be. I was surrounded by the best work colleagues, who despite not knowing what they could do to help, as they were just as in the dark about it, did everything they could to keep me going, for that I am forever grateful, because I was ready the give up after that first day. Over time, we learnt, we adapted, all of us.

I remember exactly how I felt that first day. I remember falling asleep the second I got into the car. I remember everything, yet absolutely nothing about that day. Strange right?

But look where we are a year on. It was hard, harder than I could have predicted and prepared for, but as cliché as it sounds, it changed me. Yes, it’s still a struggle every day to communicate with masks on, and its exhausting, but I’ve adapted, I’ve found new ways, things I wouldn’t have figured out how to do without all this happening. My blog name is all about what you gain from hearing loss, you lose a damn lot, but what about what you gain?

So here’s a little list of things I like to remind myself that I’ve gained from masks making communication harder:

· A greater love for sign language

· Spreading both deaf and sign language awareness

· Learning to use vibrations instead of lipreading to understand people

· Getting more people interested in sign language

· Pushing myself to do things instead of giving up

· Turning anger and frustration into a productive passion (e.g. my blog)

· Starting up an Instagram page sharing basic sign videos

· Connecting with others and making new friends

And so much more that I probably haven’t even realised!

I am thankful for everything I have learnt and gained, even if it meant going through the mud to gain them. But I also know, as lonely and isolating as it felt at times because no one else I knew at the time truly could understand, I couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone around me.

From my colleagues who learnt sign language and lowered their masks to me, to my family who picked me up when I was down and never let me give up, thank you. I’m incredibly lucky.

But this is just me. This is my story, my experience. Everyone’s will be different, not everyone has the support I’m so lucky to have. So, I hope that with the restrictions of masks being compulsory lifted, everyone won’t forget the awareness we’ve all tried to hard to push for a make progress with over the last year, for hearing loss and for sign language.

But thank you and well done to everyone anywhere who has helped make that progress in anyway, it’s not unnoticed.

And to those who don’t have anyone who understands them, who doesn’t have that support, your feelings are valid, and you’re not alone, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

As always, my inbox is always open.

Something I'd like to add:

Although masks are no longer compulsory, a lot of people still chose to wear them for personal safety, myself included, I still wear mine, but am more than happy to lower mine if someone is struggling. Just because they are a struggle to hear with them on and have a huge impact on those who hearing loss, doesn't mean I don't think they're important (it is of course down to personal opinion and preference), but it's all just about raising awareness, not about having an opinion on masks one way or another.