Unexpected Cites/Sights/Sites

Last night, I printed out a 200+ page dissertation that was sent to me to help with some new projects I'm working on with colleagues this semester.  Seeing the stack of papers on my desk reminded me of my own lengthy dissertation and made me all the more appreciative that those days and days and days and days and days of writing one huge big document like that are behind me.  Thank God!  Now, just hours and hours of writing/planning/teaching lie in wait when not tending to Charlotte's needs but I'm quite okay with that!

Another reason my dissertation research has been on my mind lately was due to some interactions that occurred at work over the last several days.  One involved a parent who accompanied her child to an advising session.  This parent, a speech therapist, declared that I am "hearing impaired and this was evident as soon as I started talking" with the student and parent.  I gently said, "Yes, I have hearing loss" and then redirected the conversation to where it needed to go in the way of advising.  Then, today, when conversing with a new faculty member, the individual said, "Are you deaf in both ears or just the one?"  I responded, "I have hearing loss in both ears" and was again reminded of my research and the findings relating to identity types.  There is still so much work that needs done in raising awareness (and respect) of different perspectives or views of identity when it comes to those of us living with hearing loss.  I'm proud of the various publications and presentations I've been able to publish and give thus far relating to this body of research and am looking forward to a presentation on this very topic later on this fall.

Having purchased my airfare and looking into my hotel reservations for this conference in Kentucky over the weekend, my mind was already on this research coupled with these recent interactions.  The icing on the cake though came this evening by way of a text from a colleague in Illinois just as I sat down to read through the dissertation I printed last night.  She said:  You are cited on page 12 of my class' text book.  She then sent me the following two photos with the caption:  Wow, this reminds me of Meg's dissertation...Oh!  It is!!.

Earlier today when talking with another faculty member, we discussed upcoming conference presentations and I mentioned a conference I hope to continue attending even though I'm no longer actively affiliated with the field.  Having attended ACE-DHH in
Jacksonville, FL,
Santa Fe, NM, 
Washington, DC,
and
St. Louis, MO
over the last four years before missing it when it was in NYC this past year due to it being so close to Charlotte's birthday, I am itching to get back to attending the conference in 2017 when it will be held in San Antonio, TX.  One of the things I enjoy about conferences, in addition to sharing research, learning, and networking, is the fact that they are held in different places each year giving me the experience of traveling to sites I may not otherwise visit!

I miss my original field of deaf education (itinerant teaching is still my favorite!!) but do love where I'm currently serving God through bringing my special education background to the general education sector.  I can't wait to meet the new crop of future educators in my classes later this week!!