I do not approve of my sister’s new deaf boyfriend

Let me rephrase this.

My sister has a new boyfriend who is deaf. I do not approve.

It’s not because he’s deaf. He’s boring. He has nothing interesting to say and when he tries it comes out sounding funny. It’s not his fault of course. Some people just aren’t interesting and others have never heard sound and are unable to emulate normal speech. That’s fine. It’s just not to my taste is all.

My sister’s new boyfriend (deaf) is not someone I approve of.

Though deaf, I do not approve of my sister’s new boyfriend who is deaf.

We’ve all learned how to sign so communication can be easier. Which is awful. My family has gotten used to silent meals. We know how to deal with this. We talk about dull minutiae for a few seconds and if we feel people are staring at us we sometimes move our lips silently so it looks like we’re talking. But silences don’t make us uncomfortable anymore. Now when we have nothing to say to each other, it’s blatantly obvious to whoever else is in the room with us. In a crowded restaurant, nobody really knows whether or not you’re speaking, but when every time you need to communicate you do so with your hands, it’s harder to conceal when there is nothing to say. And you can’t play with your hands because all of a sudden you’re saying something. Last night I buttered a roll and everyone thought I said something about zebras.

Though deaf, my sister’s boyfriend is not someone of whom I approve.