My family and I had the privilege of meeting a young author this past week. As we sat talking with this young man, it struck me how quickly a demeanor could change when talking about something you have a passion for and have researched thoroughly.

This young man is an “expert” on wolves and pack mentality due to the fact that a great amount of time went into investigating his subject matter prior to writing about it. His face lit up and his eyes danced with appreciation for any discussion that had to do with his “passion“. I look forward to talking to him more about canines and “packs” as I have an interest in it myself.

Later, I had to stop and think about that… or as we say in the South, “I pondered on it some!” Do I exude confidence and enthusiasm for those things of which I am passionate? Am I contagious?

I have a passion for people with hearing loss, obviously because I self-identify myself with this population. However, there are times I know that I advocate poorly and end up being a very poor testimony on behalf of those who are late-deafened.

I want to be the type of advocate who sits down with “someone new” to discuss my passion, and we get up from the table “like-minded”. Or at the very least, I have adequately and passionately discussed issues of hearing loss that will at least give them something to think about… they go home “ponderin’ on it!”

May all we do and all that we stand for… may everything we feel passionately about… be displayed in such a way that our passion becomes their passion!

Denise Portis
©2008 Hearing Loss Diary