Happy Thanksgiving I Love You,
Tamieka
On this Thursday, November 27th 2013 also known as Thanksgiving, I am so thankful. I'm thankful for Dr. Brown and his ability to perform surgery on a 3 day old and turn my knees around. I walk because of him!! I'm thankful that my aunt despite what her intentions may have been ran home to tell my dad, that by the looks of that baby you are the father. I'm thankful for my elementary school detecting my hearing loss. I'm thankful that my mother allowed me to never feel like I was less than any other child. I'm thankful that I had a plethora of cousins to play with growing up. I'm thankful that my aunt and uncle taught me toughness, resilience and strength all through their words and board games. I'm thankful that my dog Tamu protected me and was my first best friend. I'm thankful for my neighbors as a kid, young and old who were our village. I'm thankful for that guidance counselor who heard my story and reacted. I'm thankful for Tracy, Sherry, Queen and Marisa who were the best friends I needed in those various stages of my life that they were present. I'm thankful for the many books my mom purchased that I would lose myself in at night. I'm thankful for ABC television for creating shows like Ryans Hope, Loving, The City, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital...they were my escape. I'm thankful for my uncle for making the decision to get clean and for giving me the opportunity to tell his peers how much he meant to me. I'm thankful for my grandmother allowing me to play poker with her, my grandpa and the members of their senior group. I'm thankful for my great aunt who took the time right before she suddenly died, to tell me about her and my grandmas first time coming to New York and why. I'm thankful for the cousins who i'm no longer close with but whom I think about often and hold dear in my heart. I'm thankful for Mrs. Orrico who called me to the front of the class in fifth grade and asked me to read my story to the class because it was so good. I'm thankful for flat screen televisions. I'm grateful for Tivo. I'm thankful for 80's soul music, 90's hip hop and the fact that I can say memba when music was good. I'm thankful for pagers, two ways and cell phones. I'm thankful for the music industry and the opportunity it afforded me in meeting some of my favorite artists and making lifelong friends. I'm thankful for my Nana who didn't always physically shower me with affection but showed me a kind of love I don't think I shall ever have again. I'm thankful for my Dad who gave me two beautiful brothers who make me feel like an awesome big sister. I'm thankful for my cousin Tisha and the fist fight we had in our 30's...it taught me how incredibly stupid even adults can be. I'm thankful for my cousin Yolanda who through her sheer presence shows me friendship on a different, unassuming, stressless and loving level. I'm thankful for Swiss Miss making hot chocolate. I'm thankful for Starbucks. I'm thankful for American Airlines in spite of the price discrepancies between tickets. I'm thankful for Tortola and Argentina. I'm thankful for the gold fish that came and went. I'm thankful for the Ferris Buellers Day Off, Love Jones, Love and Basketball, The Best Man Holiday, Grease, Can't Buy me Love and The Notebook. I'm thankful for Huntington Village and all of the great restaurants they have. I'm thankful for all of my friends, family and complete strangers that donated to my hearing aid fund. I'm thankful for my former boss who sent an email to my branch encouraging their support of me. I'm thankful I have a job. I'm thankful my employer employed my best friend. I'm thankful I finished my memoir. I'm thankful that I got to vote a black man into presidency. I'm thankful that I can say I have diverse group of friends. I'm thankful for this blog. I'm thankful for this Samsung Ultrabook that is simply awesome. I'm thankful that I won a kindle and own an Ipad. I'm thankful for Mariah Carey, The Temptations, The Jackson and now Mary J. Bliges Christmas music. I'm thankful to be flying to Vegas with some of the women in my family to spend Christmas there. I'm thankful for Fella even though all he does is whine, sleep, shit and sleep....dogs...smh. I'm thankful for Facebook and Twitter, and Tumblr, and Instagram and all of the other crazy apps I've downloaded for keeping me in touch with folks. I'm thankful for the friends who don't go out of their way to make time for me because it makes me appreciate the ones who do, that much more. I'm thankful for the food I'm going to eat today. I'm thankful for Planet Fitness. I'm thankful that my uncle married my aunt she's awesome....hard to recall when she wasn't in my life. I'm thankful for my mother and her gift of being. I'm thankful for so much that these few mentions don't even touch on them. I'm thankful that you're reading this. Happy Thanksgiving I Love You, Tamieka
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The KNICKS lost and I'm super sad!! Please sign my petition and help perk me up haha https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b Please consider taking a moment out of your day to sign my petition. The picture to the left is of a wax guard that got stuck in my ear for over a month. I had no idea it was there. This would have never happened with new, good hearing aids. Many people cannot afford hearing aids and/or they buy ones that are low grade and do little to help their hearing. Please sign my petition and help me bring forth awareness about the lack of coverage from insurance companies in regard to hearing aids. Sign Here>>>https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b I'm often conflicted about what my purpose is, am I being the best me I can be, have I been a good daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend. Only those who know me can answer that question. But as I sit here and reflect on the person I am today I can honestly say, I have more work to do, more love to give and receive, more life to live. I hope that I can be an example of what is possible and achievable. I hope that I can be an example that miracles do exist and that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. I hope that I can be an example that with hard work, dedication and a commitment to whatever goal you create for yourself anything is possible. We have all experienced varying levels of getting "beat down" yet we still rise. We stand tall because we have something in us that says stand up. Whether we are standing up for ourselves, for our loved ones or for a cause that means a ton to us...we stand up, we rise and we keep going. Let today be a reflection of what's in your heart. Let today be a reminder of how far you've come. Let today be the day where you extend your hand and help another rise tall. I Love You!! Sign here to support hearing aid coverage https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b Hearing aids should be covered by insurance companies. Don't you agree? Having been hard of hearing my whole life, I know first hand what the struggle is like to pay for hearing aids. The assistance that I've gotten from insurance companies begins and ends with a simple hearing test. Insurance companies, start the process but fail to follow through to it's end and I feel that it's quite shameful of them. I ask that you please sign my petition and help me stand up to them in an effort to get coverage for myself and the millions of others who are forced to go without hearing because they simply cannot afford it. Will you be a soldier in our fight? Please sign https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b "Most private US health care providers do not provide coverage for hearing aids, so all costs are usually borne by the recipient. The cost for a single hearing aid can vary between $500 to $6,000 or more, depending on the level of technology and whether the clinician bundles fitting fees into the cost of the hearing aid. Though if an adult has a hearing loss which substantially limits major life activities, some state-run vocational rehabilitation programs can provide upwards of full financial assistance. Severe and profound hearing loss often falls within the "substantially limiting" category. Less expensive hearing aids can be found on the internet or mail order catalogs, but some in the $200 range tend to amplify the low frequencies of background noise, making it harder to hear the human voice. The cost of hearing aids is a tax-deductible medical expense for those who itemize medical deductions." Please SIGN my petition and lets hold insurance companies accountable!! We pay for insurance and they should cover our medical necessities. Again please sign https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b Huh? and What? Two words I ask in the form of a question repeatedly throughout the day. Please support me and my deaf and hard of hearing sisters and brothers in imploring the insurance companies to cover hearing aids. Huh and What are just as annoying to hear all day as it is to ask!!. Please sign my petition at https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b As I take a break from work, and sit by the water, I smile at the sound of the waves crashing against the marina, the sand and the boats. It's a beautiful sound!! Unfortunately, many cannot and will not be ever able to hear the sounds I hear. If it wasn't for the kindness of my audiologist I too would have trouble hearing those sounds. I'm currently wearing loaner hearing aids as I await the arrival of new ones that I will be getting courtesy of the monetary donations that my friends and family gave me. Many will not have that privilege. Today I implore you to sign my petition at https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b and support me in bringing awareness and demanding hearing aid coverage from our insurance companies. There is no reason why a little five year old in Topeka or an elderly woman in Iowa should go through life without hearing because they can't afford hearing aids. This is not cool!!! I ask that you join me in standing up to our government and our insurance companies and letting them know that we believe hearing is just as important as seeing. Please sign here https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT :-) As we forge into May, memories of spring months of the past fill my head. I am reminded of the people from all walks of life and all ages who go to my local beach to relax and catch some sun. I'm reminded of the weekends spent washing my car alongside my family members. I'm reminded of the sounds of birds chirping, dogs barking and kids playing. Those sounds allude millions every year because they cannot afford the cost of hearing aids. Like vision, hearing is a necessary sense in order to enjoy the full benefits of spring. Unlike vision its not covered by insurance companies. Many of our citizens, some who are classified as elderly and others who are simply babies have to go without the aids because they are unable to afford them. One woman wrote me and said that hearing aids aren't covered because she believes we could rely on sign language. I had intended to write her back but my anger festered up so high that I chose to ignore her. The fact of the matter is that sign language is a great form of communication however, many hard of hearing individuals get diagnosed way past the age where it's best to learn the language. Insurance companies should feel like they have a responsibility to cover every aspect of health afflicted by their clients. Unfortunately, a blind eye has been cast upon us and we are expected to look elsewhere for support. With that being said, I ask you to please join me in letting insurance companies know that enough is enough and we demand coverage for hearing aids NOW. Please sign my petition @ https://t.co/dCKWC8XR3b |
AuthorMy name is Tamieka Blair and I live on Long Island in New York. I write, I read, I write, I work, I write, I support..I WRITE!!! Archives
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Please note that the viewpoints expressed in this blog are solely my views and do not necessarily represent those of any employer or company associated with Tamieka Blair.
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