For weeks I've walked around campus seeing various flyers for the candidates running for positions in student government. President, Vice President, Representative, Andrew, Nathaniel, Catherine, etc... Eventually the names run all together right? Until they come to life...

"Hi, my name is _______." I look up into a talking poster. Ok not really, but a face that has been plastered across the walls recently was now standing in front of me, talking. The conversation was short, but he seemed a nice enough guy. I invited him to a student organization meeting a few days later and he said he'd come but I seriously doubted it. I mean elections are a week away, of course he had to say he'd come right?

But he did! We ended up talking for an hour after the meeting ended and I kept thinking, "Wow he really is a nice guy." But that is when reality hit... I was totally being campaigned.

Elections were in less than a week at that time, and I was involved in a department he had never touched really before with campaigning. My "duh" moment of why he was being so nice really was revolutionary. I left shortly thereafter, saying I had voice lessons (dismissing the fact they didn't start for another half hour) and breathed a sigh of relief.

But that's what politicians are supposed to do right? Like everybody, smile a lot, have everybody like them so you can get their votes. I don't have a problem with that, I really don't. So I proceeded the friendship with that in mind.

So Eeections have come and gone (he won) and though the email messages have slowed down, they're still there. I don't think he's flirting or interested (there's an eight-year age difference between us and vastly different belief systems as far as I can tell) but it made me start to think, how in the world can you tell if someone who is a politician or has a politician like personality is really interested in you or just "doing their job?" They HAVE to like everybody, so when do you know when it's different with you? Have you ever been in this situation (in either position?) What did you do and how did it turn out?

The couple was excitedly discussing their baby that was due to be born in a few months. The husband and wife had been married for years but the wife had only just been able to get pregnant. However the topic they were discussing wasn't whether the child was a boy or girl, it was whether the child was going to be deaf or hearing. See the wife was hearing, while the husband was deaf.

This combination made me start thinking. I'm a sign language interpreter and love being involved in the deaf community, and people have asked me from time to time if I would consider being with a man who was deaf.

My answer? I don't see a problem with it. My only hesitation is that I'm also a music major and music is one of the "loves" of my life. I can't imagine having a life not being able to completely share that with someone. Other than that though, I would not have a problem marrying a deaf man. I've seen some of the struggles involved in this by watching a few couples around me and though in some areas it would be difficult, I'm comfortable enough in the language that I think we'd just have the same problems as any other relationship, just maybe shown in different ways.

What about you? Have you ever seen or been involved in a couple like this?

What about other things people call "physical handicaps?" Would you be with someone who was deaf? blind? had a physical deformity?