The fond memories tied to the Langley house mentioned in my last post mostly happened outside the house rather than inside it.

My parents made the decision to relocate to Langley in 1995 after my siblings moved out to free me from a life of continued isolation.

There, I was within walking distance from my school and eight deaf kids with whom I had varying degrees of friendship.

It was the best thing they’d ever done for me. I could have done without the big house with the 800-gallon fish tank in the rec room, hot tub, pristine living room carpet, a backyard that was a mushroom paradise, and so on.

None of that mattered as much as being close to my friends.

Continue reading “Incidental social isolation.” →