Car Conversations
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash As someone who is profoundly deaf, I have discovered one thing: If I want to drive safely and effectively, I have to stay focused on what is ahead of me. This is what I learned when I was learning how to drive. I read lips in addition to relying on sign language, and so if I want to know what someone is saying, I have to look at them. This could spell disaster if I am driving, because that means taking my eyes off of the road. Not a good idea if I can’t hear anything! (Well, not a good idea, in general.) So I learned that the best thing to do when I am driving is to just stay focused on driving and not so much on having conversations while driving. The thing of it is, though, is that most hearing people like having conversations while in the car. I have noticed that drivers are often talking with passengers while driving, and that people who drive taxis will often chat with their fares. In fact, as an author, I ha...