Imagine seeing people talking, moving their mouths and not being able to hear anything. Welcome to the world of deafness. The journey for a deaf person can be challenging, but these challenges can be overcome with perseverance. Today I will share with you the story of my journey with deafness and see if I am my disability. It is an experience that has shaped my life through body, mind and spiritual matter. First of all, when I was little, my mom noticed that I didn't respond when she called my name. Every time mom took me to the doctor, the doctor said everything was fine. The doctor once clapped my hands behind my head to test my hearing. I turned to the doctor and the doctor said to mom: "See, she can hear." When I was 18 months old, Mom asked the doctor, "Shouldn't he be talking by now?" The doctor said, “Boys are slow. My son never spoke until he was 2 1/2 years old and then he started speaking in sentences.” But mom didn't give up. She took me to an audiologist. to get my hearing checked. The audiologist diagnosed me with deafness. This is where I really was my body, being deaf without a cochlear implant they showed that they loved me and cared about me by not giving up when they thought that something was wrong. This is a little ironic because I was my body and my parents wanted to change it for the better. It means they want to give me a cochlear implant so I can hear. Then, when I was three, I had surgery to get a cochlear implant at the University of Minnesota. Cochlear implant is a small device that bypasses the damaged parts of the ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve. The signals generated by the implant are sent from the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the necessary finger . I was excited, but very nervous. Northern Voices only had about 5 students in each class and Rice Lake had about 27. It was so loud! I saw the kids chatting, but I was so shy to meet them. The children were welcoming and I quickly made friends by talking. At this moment I felt that speaking is now a part of me as it is ingrained in my soul. The signature left my soul. Growing up with hearing students for the past 12 years, I no longer feel part of the deaf community, but part of the hearing community. My true self has blossomed. The Difference Between Body and SelfSo today I shared with you my journey into deafness. Being deaf can be difficult, but it's not the end of the world. I can do what everyone else does, for example talk, play sports and go out with friends. Every person's journey is different. For me the key to success is perseverance.