I’ve talked about how difficult it can be for me to find and keep friends, especially when they already have their own circle of friends. Sooner or later, I somehow lose touch with them. This pattern has repeated itself at school and work, and it’s taken some of the fun out of meeting new people. I still wonder how much my hearing loss and shyness factors into it.

The question I would like to ask for this week is: who are your kind of friends? Do you have mostly deaf and hard of hearing friends, hearing friends, or both? How do you find them? How do you communicate with them? Keep in mind that I am talking about in-person interactions, not online friendships. I spent most of my life in the hearing world so I never had the opportunity to really interact with other deaf and hard of hearing people, but I would like to hear your input.

At this week's Open Chat Night, discuss the kind of friends you have and how they became influential in your life. Who are you more likely to approach in order to start a friendship, or vice versa?