…and when said underpaid Deaf staff create enough progress for their Deaf students, that’s when school districts decide those students don’t belong in a Deaf school anymore and “want them back.”

(See chapter 5 in “Turning the Tide: Making Life Better for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Schoolchildren”)

9 times out of 10, self-awareness is the first step towards solving a problem.

But if I’m at a bar and it dawns on me that I’m feeling socially awkward, that’s my cue to haul ass outta there. Otherwise it just spirals downhill from there.

“I’ll save y’all the spectacle. I’m going home.” 🤣

So true…

It sucks that other people expect us to behave like them. Their minds are so full of who they want us to be, they don’t see who we really are…

…and then they announce there’s gonna be a team building activity at the staff meeting.

People who fail spectacularly are far more interesting than those who play it safe. 😉🤟

…and it’s the “so full of life” person who usually gets the promotion. Loudness is rewarded in the extroverted workplace. This isn’t sour grapes on our part—just an honest observation that the work of talented introverts is often overlooked 🤷🏻‍♂️

That’s a hell of a title — can’t wait to get a copy of the book.

My parents are deaf. My dad stopped going to family events because of DTS. He was made out to be the villain. His response to that?

“Someday, you’ll understand.”

Someday arrived and we got an ASL interpreter. 😉

Well said. I’m deaf and an introvert. I’ve upset people when I say that it’s easier to be deaf. When you advocate for accessibility, most people don’t dispute it. When you advocate for an introvert, even your closest friends and family will bombard you with “but, but, but…” 😉

The War of Art. It never ceases to amaze me how I keep getting in my own way. This book is a great antidote for that 🤟

Not only did I do this, but I also think I created a new genre. But I’m retiring from my job in 2026 and if I publish this manuscript now, I’m absolutely getting fired.

So I’m waiting this out for a year or so.

Having a moral compass sucks. 😏🤟

Those writers are far classier than I am (I’m the author of ‘People Suck’). But if I may recommend a sixth book… that would be Benjamin Plumb’s ‘The Satisfied Introvert.’

Plumb’s book—which includes a survival skill he calls his winning recipe—gave me an epiphany like no other. Check it out 🤟

…and it’s not the first time this happened. Robert Irvine doesn’t look anything like me, but he copied my crappy wardrobe enough to earn a double take 😜