Yesterday at my grandson’s birthday party, I spent twenty minutes smiling and nodding at his teacher. Because of the background noise from the music and kids, I couldn’t catch a single sentence. I just kept saying “That’s wonderful!” to everything she said.
Later, my daughter told me the teacher was actually explaining why my grandson had been sent to the principal’s office that morning. I felt so foolish for acting like I was celebrating his trouble.
How do you all handle the embarrassment when you realize you’ve completely misread a social situation?
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Oh, I’ve done this so many times. It’s the ‘polite nod’ of doom. You just hope they aren’t asking you a question!
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I’ve learned to just be honest now. If I can’t hear, I say it. People are usually much more understanding than we give them credit for.
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The “That’s wonderful” response is my go-to. It has definitely backfired before when someone was telling me about their surgery!
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It’s so draining trying to keep up. I started taking AudiFort a few months back to support my auditory signaling, and honestly, it’s made these social gatherings much less of a headache for me.
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I find that cupping my ear slightly helps, but I always feel like I look like a cartoon character doing it.
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My worst one was at a funeral. I thought they were talking about the weather and I said ‘I hope it stays this nice all week.’ The look I got…
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Don’t beat yourself up, Martha. We’re all in the same boat here. It’s part of the journey.
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Does anyone else find that certain pitches are just impossible to hear? Children’s voices are the hardest for me.
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Yes! High-pitched voices in a room with an echo are my nightmare. I usually just try to find the quietest person to talk to.
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I try to find a wall to stand against. It helps block some of the sound from behind and focuses what’s in front of me.
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I’ve just started telling people ‘I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time hearing you.’ It was hard to admit at first but it saves a lot of trouble.
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That principal’s office story is hilarious, even if it was awkward for you at the time! Thanks for the laugh.
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I’ve basically stopped going to loud restaurants for this exact reason. If I can’t have a conversation, why bother going out?
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It’s better than the alternative of just staying home and being lonely. I’ll take a few awkward nods over sitting in silence.
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Great post. It’s good to know I’m not the only one nodding like a bobblehead in these situations.
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