Live Out Loud

Live Out Loud

A poem by Lindsay Cotterman

Crying the first time you hear the refrigerator buzz because you’ve never heard it before...

Receiving bad grades on video quizzes in school because they weren’t captioned...

Closing your eyes during yoga and not knowing what the teacher is saying...

Hating sleepovers because once the lights go out you can’t hear your friends...

Watching others dancing to try to find the rhythm of the song...

Saying “what” or “sorry” because you missed what was said...

Refusing to wear your hearing aids because you don’t want to be made fun of... Having people think you’re rude or ignoring them when really you didn’t

hear them...

Pretending you heard something and laughing along because you are afraid to say you didn't hear...

Finding people who love you, who will always repeat things for you, who understand you...

Making your friends crack up when you hear a completely different sentence than what was said, and laughing along with them...

Getting a great night’s sleep through almost anything because you can’t hear without your devices...

Having a heightened sense of sight and smell and being more visually observant...

Knowing that it will all be okay, even if it feels like it won’t be...

Embracing your hearing loss because it is a part of who you are...

Never judging a book by its cover because we are all going through something...

Finding that you are a stronger person because of the obstacles you have faced...

Knowing that at times life with hearing loss can be can be frustrating and difficult, but that you wouldn’t change it for the world...

Lindsay Cotterman is the Head Coach of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Pom Team. Despite having hearing loss, she grew up dancing and cheering all her life.

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