Smiling and Nodding: A Streaming During Convo Moment.

You know those moments where your hearing devices help and hinder at the same time? That happened to me recently at a pizza buffet. I was enjoying my solo lunch, jamming to 80s tunes through my cochlear implant and hearing aid. Total focus mode. Until a woman started talking to me—and I couldn’t hear a single word. Classic.

I had my tech set to streaming focus mode—a setting that lets me hear whatever is coming from my phone while tuning out the environment. Since I was eating alone, I figured it was safe to relax and zone out a bit.

But when I got up for a second helping of pizza and left my phone at the booth, things got... interesting.

A woman who worked there approached and said something—I have no clue what. Maybe she was checking on how I was enjoying the food, or letting me know they were bringing out a new pizza. Who knows?

But I panicked. I smiled. I nodded. I tried to read her lips and guess the right facial expression. Meanwhile, Blondie was still belting out “Call Me” through my hearing tech. It was like trying to hear someone underwater while at a disco.

This moment might sound small, but it’s a real part of navigating deafness with assistive tech. Sometimes, the very tools that empower us also trip us up—especially when the world doesn’t pause for you to switch modes.

I share this not to complain, but to connect. Because if you’ve ever smiled and nodded while having no idea what’s being said, you’re not alone.

🎧 Listen to this moment on Season 1, Episode 5 of my podcast
📺 Watch the video on YouTube
💬 Have you ever had a moment like this? Share it in the comments below or tag me on social: @StepDeaf

Let’s keep making happiness accessible—one real story at a time.

#DeafLife #CochlearImplant #HearingAidFail #StreamingFocus #FunnyDeafMoment #DeafAwareness #DisabilityHumor #LetsMakeHappinessAccessible #StepDeaf