I wouldn't call my grandchildren or my friends the lowest form of life but I do understand your comment and have no argument with it. No foul.No offense intended Hoddy. I never said people don't poke fun, I suggested only the lowest forms of life do so. I stand by that. It takes a real POS to make fun of a person with any disability. I must have misunderstood you when you mentioned embarrassment due to your condition. I'm glad you don't get the feels over it. I meant what I said, the reading lips thing is a good argument to mask mandates. I just found the loophole ADA guideline around it and couldn't resist.
They may jokingly say grandpa can't hear and laugh when I can't understand them and I laugh along with them, but it hurts inside because it has an effect on our relationship. Everyone with a disability has those same feelings. Some let it take them into a state of depression that can spiral downhill and some take the disability to educate others about what goes on behind the lines to create understanding. That's what I do here and in several threads in the past with folks that have hearing disabilities. I'm a glass of water mostly full vs a glass of water mostly empty person. Somewhere under that pile of horseshit there must be a horse to build that pile person.