Entering the Home Stretch

By Cheryl Heppner

June 2009

Editor: It's that time of year again! The start of Hearing Loss Convention Season! As is normally the case, HLAA kicks off the activity in June. Char and I didn't attend this year, but super reporters extraordinaire Cheryl Heppner and Bonnie O'Leary from NVRC will be providing detailed coverage of the activities.

More coverage of this great convention is at: http://www.hearinglossweb.com/res/hlorg/shhh/cn/2009/2009.htm

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As I rolled out of bed today I wondered how it could possibly be Saturday morning and the last full day of the convention. The days and nights have been crammed but there's so much more I want to pack in. As I ponder this and type away, though, I have only to look at the mirror cruelly placed dead ahead on the wall in front of my desk. I see serious bed head and a face that screams for beauty sleep. You just can't argue with the evidence.

Last night's 30th birthday party for HLAA was great. There was no way I could lose when assigned to one of the Fun Tables with a seat between Lise Hamlin and Ronnie Adler. I also had the pleasure of meeting some really wonderful new people for the first time at that table.

Hanging Out with the Young Adults

This is the point at every good convention that I start to reflect. There are so many high points already. Yesterday I went to watch the Young Adults panel where I finally ran into my lovely and talented Canadian friend Gael Hannan. I learned at this presentation that the definition of young adult is between 18 and 35. Post-panel discussion, I told Gael I was still 35 and she of the lovely white hair shot back that she was not a day over 34. That girl's quick.

Quips aside, those young adults were great! You'll see my write-up later but suffice to say they give you hope with their determination and smarts. I was by turns awed, inspired, and touched as the panel and others in the audience shared concerns and tips. The high point for me was to listen to their challenges - things like communicating in the age of conference calling and trying to feel their way through requesting accommodations. Today they have so many career choices and so many options for communication that my generation never had. Not to downplay the challenges they face, but how wonderful it is that they are in an age where there are CART and sign language professionals, hearing aid compatible phones and wireless text devices, sophisticated hearing aids and cochlear implants, listening systems, e-mail and the Internet, relay services of all stripes, and many laws to elevate their access and equality.

I hope they'll harness their powerful energy to help with the work that is yet to be done, and I'd love to see them pay it forward. One of my greatest ambitions is to vastly improve the services and care for individuals aging with hearing loss. To give just one example, the need for staff education and improved services and safety in most rehabilitation and care facilities is a national disgrace.

More High Points

Another high point that springs to mind: seeing Vint and Sigrid Cerf at the Opening Ceremony. Wherever they go, this couple brings such incredible enthusiasm. I daresay they'd be on everyone's list of couples you most want to have dinner with.

And yet another was meeting "Eric from Reno" last night. On the final day of HLAA convention 2008 he wandered into a near-deserted exhibit hall, where I was trying to take in the last of the exhibits. Eric had been losing his hearing from noise at unsafe levels in his workplace and had just learned that the HLAA convention was being held in his town. We talked for a long time - 90 minutes, he tells me - and I told him to put attendance at the 2009 convention on his must-do list. And there he was, looking happy and healthy, doing well with a cochlear implant and planning for a second one soon.

My list would not be complete without the occasional Bonnie sightings. I just love working with the very excellent Bonnie O'Leary, our Outreach Manager at NVRC, and this is one of the all-too-rare times we get to be at conferences together. She's the total package: smart, inquisitive, hard-working, fast-thinking, totally dependable, innovative, fun to be around, and all the other superlatives you could ever want. Don't even think about stealing her from me.

If you happen to be reading this from the convention or plan to come to the Gaylord Resort anytime soon, the Marketplace Buffet is a splurge worth checking out. It's $25.95, all you can eat, and the wait staff is friendly and accommodating. You'll find quite a variety -- comfort food, ethnic food, hearty soups, and tempting desserts. I speak from experience after a lovely evening there sampling the savory and sweet while catching up with TDI Executive Director Claude Stout.

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(c)2009 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC), 3951 Pender Drive, Suite 130, Fairfax, VA 22030; www.nvrc.org. 703-352-9055 V, 703-352-9056 TTY, 703-352-9058 Fax. You do not need permission to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC.