“My boss drove a luxury car everyday and it was my duty to greet him and to open the gates for him, as I worked as a watchman in his villa. But he never responded back to my greetings.

One day he saw me opening the garbage bags outside the villa in search for any leftover food. But, as usual he never even looked at me, it was like as if he never saw anything!

The very next day I saw a paper bag at the same place, but it was clean and the food inside was covered well. It was fresh and good food like someone had just brought it from the supermarket. I didn't bother as to where it came from, I just took the paper bag and I was so happy about it.

Every day I found this paper bag at the same place with fresh vegetables and all that we needed for home. This became my daily routine. I was eating and sharing this food with my wife and kids. I was wondering who this fool could be?! To forget his paper bag full of fresh food everyday.

One day there was a big problem in the villa and I was told that my boss has died. There were too many guests coming to the villa that day and I didn't get any food that day, so I thought that one of the guests must have taken it. But the same thing happened the 2nd day, the 3rd day and the 4th day.

It went on like this for a few weeks and I found it difficult to provide food for my family, so I decided to ask the wife of my boss for a raise in my salary or else I would quit my job as a watchman.

After I told her, she was shocked, and asked me, how come you never complained about your salary for the last 2 years? And why is this salary not enough for you now? I gave her so many excuses but she was never convinced!

Finally in the end, I decided to tell her the truth, I told her the entire story of the bag of groceries, and as to how it was my daily provision. She then asked me as to when this stopped? I told her after the death of her husband. And then I realized that I stopped seeing the paper bag immediately after the death of my boss. Why didn't I ever think of this before? That it was my boss who was providing this for me? I guess it was because I never thought that a person who never replied to my greetings could ever be this generous!

His wife started to cry and I told her to please stop crying and that I'm really sorry that I asked for a raise, I didn't know that it was your husband who was providing me with the meals, I’ll remain as a watchman and be happy to provide my service.

His wife told me, I'm crying because I've finally found the 7th person my husband was giving this bag full of food. I knew my husband was giving 7 people everyday, I had already found the 6 people, and all these days I was searching for the 7th person. And today I found out.

From that day onwards, I started to receive the bag full of food again, but this time his son was bringing it to my house and giving it to my hand. But whenever I thanked him, he never replied! Just like his dad!

One day, I told him THANK YOU in a very loud voice! He replied back to me to please not be offended when he doesn't reply, because he has a hearing problem, just like his dad!”

Oh! We have been wrong so many times judging others without knowing the true story behind their actions. Be kind and courteous in dealing with others, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. Be careful, not everything is about you. Before you assume, there is this thing called ASKING.

Don’t just jump to conclusion, because that is truly not an exercise, it may cause you more harm at the end of the day. Many of our problems are caused by how we process what happens around us. Don’t judge a situation you have never been in. Be humble enough to learn. You do not know it all. Lets change the way we feel about ourselves and others.

There are two sides to a story. Don’t believe everything you hear.

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

First Class Does Not Necessarily Mean Success Class!
Prof. Abioye isaac from University of Olabisi onabanjo university
"Academic excellence is overrated! Did I just say that? Oh, yes, I said it.Being top of your class does not necessarily guarantee that you will be at the top of life. You could graduate as the best student in Finance but it doesn't mean you will make more money than everybody else. The best graduating Law student does not necessarily become the best lawyer. The fact is life requires more than the ability to understand a concept, memorise it and reproduce it in an exam. School rewards people for their memory. Life rewards people for their imagination. School rewards caution, life rewards daring. School hails those who live by the rules. Life exalts those who break the rules and set new ones. So do I mean people shouldn't study hard in school? Oh, no, you should. But don't sacrifice every other thing on the altar of First Class. Don't limit yourself to the classroom. Do something practical.
Take a leadership position.
Start a business and fail. That's a better Entrepreneurship 101.
Join or start a club.
Contest an election and lose. It will teach something Political Science 101 will not teach you.
Attend a seminar.
Read books outside the scope of your course.
Go on missions and win a soul for eternal rewards...
Do something you believe in!
Think less of becoming an excellent student but think more of becoming an excellent person. Make the world ur classroom!"

Let the fire burn them very well...this will teach every university not to try this rubbish.

www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/194437-rivers-university-under-fire-for-expelling-student-with-speech-and-hearing-challenges.html

I will go through this present life only once,
And I shall have but one chance to live at present;

Not all people will like me; others may even despise me,
As I may not be easily understood;
Yet I will take this chance to live,
And I will reach out in ways I know;

Not all human companions deserve my trust,
Making me guard what i say to the one who lies in my embrace,
Because a man’s enemies are the men of his household,

But i will strive to understand them more;
Not all days will bring me sunshine,
So I will rejoice also for the rain;
Not every endeavor will be a success,
But I will savor the victories I achieve;

Not all dreams I dream will be mine,
But in time new dreams will fill my heart,
And as from a star those hopes will propel me forward doing everything the best way I know I can;

No fear shall trample me whatsoever,
Though some tasks seem to outweigh my strength;

I have come a long way,
But I also have a long way to go.
I will only do what I have to do,
And God will take care of the rest.

Ogechi,

Let me tell you a little about myself. I am hard-of-hearing (a variant of deafness,  in that mine is mild wearing hearing aids. Nevertheless,  in general parlance,  it is still categorised as deafness). I drive a Golf 4 plying major roads inter-and intra-states. I drive from Lagos to Abuja safely by God's grace without any rancour or problem. I even picked up passengers who flagged me down traveling the same route I was. I made them understand my hearing status,  they all showed understanding and confidence when they saw the skillful and smooth way I drove. Getting to our destination safely and in time,  most of them praised and thanked me.

I have been driving since 2006 and I have undergone driving tests and all other tests there are to obtaining driver's license and I met no opposition because I demonstrated convincingly my ability to drive. The only issue they had was my eye-sight clarity which was considered as important prerequisite to safe driving. I wear eyeglasses and was asked to remove it during eye test. Didn't see clearly,  then was asked to wear it,  and I saw and read out all the minutest letters in the microscope-like instrument. After all said and done,  I was given my license and have been driving ever since without constituting dangers to fellow road users.

Now,  in your scathing remarks above,  you made an allegation that deaf drivers constitute dangers to other road users,  I want to ask you to please state , unbiasely, and clearly,  with evidence,  what dangers deaf drivers constitute to others. Have you seen any such case of your allegation before all of the years of life you've lived in this world? Awaiting your response.

'WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE DEAF?'

People have asked me.
Deaf? Oh hmm, how do i explain that? Simple: I can't hear.
No, wait, it is much more than that. It is similar to a goldfish in a bowl. Always observing  things going on. People talking at all times. It is like a man on his own island, Among foreigners.
Isolation is no stranger to me.
Relative say Hi and Bye
But I sit for 5 hours among them
Taking great pleasure at amusing babies, or being amused by TV.
Reading books, resting, helping out with food.

Natural curiosity perks up upon seeing great laughter carring anger. Inquring only to meet with a 'Never mind' or 'Oh, its not important'. Getting a summarized statement of the whole day.

I'm supposed to smile to show my happiness. Little do they know how truly miserable i am.
People are in control of language usage, i am at loss and really uncomfortable! Always feeling like an outsider among the hearing people, even though it was not their intention. Always assuming that i am part of them by my presence, not understanding the importance of communication. Facing the choice between Deaf event weekend or family reunion. Facing the choice between the family commiment and Deaf friends.
I must have the choices constantly. Wonder why I choose Deaf friends? I get such great pleasure at the Deaf association, whereas i anxiously look at the clock every few minutes at the family reunion. With Deaf people, i feel so normal, our communication flows back and forth.

Catch up with little trivals, our daily life, our frustration in the bigger world, seeking the mutual understanding.

Contented smiles and laughter are musical - so musical to me.
So attuned to each other's feelings. True happiness is so important. I feel more at home with Deaf of various color, religion, short or tall than i do among my own hearing relatives. And you wonder why?
Our language is common.
We understand each other.
Being at loss of control of the environment that communication is important. People panic and retreat to avoid Deaf people like the plague.
But Deaf people are still human beings, with dreams, desires and needs to belong, just like everyone else.

BY DIANNE KINNEE (SWITRAS)

kind reguards!

Mastansl Educational