TINA is crazy in love with Archie. They've been in love and dating for decades, and are a reminder to all their friends and family that love is certainly not bound by physical disabilities, in this case on both sides. You see, Tina went blind as a child and Archie has been deaf and dumb all his life but can see just fine. Communication can still be a challenge but like all couples they find they understand each other's moods and needs quickly even if details are sometimes frustratingly difficult to get across.
When they first met they were introduced and assisted in communication by Tina's older sister, Barbara who, like the rest of the family on both sides had been delighted that the chemistry was working out. Since the sisters were close and Barbara was still useful at times for communication on occasion they lived close to each other.
Then something quite unexpected happened. Archie, who had been thinking through some rather deep and existential questions, decided he really needed a new start in life. Although a friendly guy, he had become quite settled into his routine. While companionship with Tina was fulfilling, he got it into his head that really Archie was more a name of his parents' generation. There were still no signs of he and Tina being able to have children - maybe that was it. Whatever the cause, it was time to reintegrate with society, get involved with local community projects, volunteer to help others in difficulty, hang out, watch footy in the local pub... and change his name. He wouldn't lose it completely, but he didn't want any extra perceived weirdness in addition to the fact that he couldn't speak like most other people. So he would switch his first name with his middle name, Sam. Just one problem - how to tell his blind companion? He knew immediately who to contact and texted Barbara asking her to come over to help him in breaking the news to Tina.
Barbara was faithful and true to her impeccable record and did not over-enthuse nor did she judge - she knew that she was best serving her sister and brother-in-law by remaining as neutral as possible.
It didn't go well. Tina heard the news from Barbara and just shook her head in disbelief at first, but when she sensed from Sam (Archie) that Barbara was simply relaying information she had learned from him, she began alternating between disbelief, denial, anger, then a kind of blunt refusal. You see, for a blind person to know someone, even more is invested into the name: "but I only know you as Archie! You're my Archie - you can't be anything else"! Sam's heart melted and he felt torn. He knew that his desire to integrate more into society had become deeply associated in his mind with the name change. He knew it was a big deal, but it was a big deal he was ready for. There was still plenty of continuity. He'd still look the same, be the same person both intrinsically and officially, but socially he was Sam now, not Archie. But it was rocking his relationship with the woman he loved most in the world, and he couldn't bear to see Tina's heartbreak like this. It was just too much for her to take in, and as the minutes turned into hours, even poor Barbara was visibly, and audibly tiring. They all agreed to take a break and carry on the next day and, as the elder sister wisely suggested, to perhaps "sleep on it".
True enough, sometimes the next day things can seem different and a solution dawned on Archie even as he brushed his teeth. Although he couldn't possibly imagine what it might be like for Tina to love a man she had never seen and whose voice she had never clearly heard articulate a single sentence, it started to dawn on him that he may have underestimated the magnitude of what he was asking her to take on. By the time Barbara had arrived, he laid it out to her and she couldn't hide the relief from her eyes. "Hi Tina, how are you? I just have to tell you straight away what Sam, er, Archie er, you know, just suggested to me!" Her excitement was tangible and Tina already felt a little of the tension lift from her face. "Ar...Sa.... he suggests that he have both names! What do you think? He says sorry, he knows now that he was asking too much of you, that he has no idea how important the name you know him so deeply by is to you. He didn't want to shake you, even though he still wants deep change and more connections in his life. So will you please keep calling him Archie, but not mind if others call him Sam?"
It was all still so much to take on, but over the next few days Tina began to see the wisdom in this compromise. Her partner really wasn't comfortable with Archie any more in his growing groups of friends and fellow volunteers. Both of them started to see Archie as a special name, just for her, almost like "darling" and they both soon readjusted successfully to this new state of affairs.
THE END?
When they first met they were introduced and assisted in communication by Tina's older sister, Barbara who, like the rest of the family on both sides had been delighted that the chemistry was working out. Since the sisters were close and Barbara was still useful at times for communication on occasion they lived close to each other.
Then something quite unexpected happened. Archie, who had been thinking through some rather deep and existential questions, decided he really needed a new start in life. Although a friendly guy, he had become quite settled into his routine. While companionship with Tina was fulfilling, he got it into his head that really Archie was more a name of his parents' generation. There were still no signs of he and Tina being able to have children - maybe that was it. Whatever the cause, it was time to reintegrate with society, get involved with local community projects, volunteer to help others in difficulty, hang out, watch footy in the local pub... and change his name. He wouldn't lose it completely, but he didn't want any extra perceived weirdness in addition to the fact that he couldn't speak like most other people. So he would switch his first name with his middle name, Sam. Just one problem - how to tell his blind companion? He knew immediately who to contact and texted Barbara asking her to come over to help him in breaking the news to Tina.
Barbara was faithful and true to her impeccable record and did not over-enthuse nor did she judge - she knew that she was best serving her sister and brother-in-law by remaining as neutral as possible.
It didn't go well. Tina heard the news from Barbara and just shook her head in disbelief at first, but when she sensed from Sam (Archie) that Barbara was simply relaying information she had learned from him, she began alternating between disbelief, denial, anger, then a kind of blunt refusal. You see, for a blind person to know someone, even more is invested into the name: "but I only know you as Archie! You're my Archie - you can't be anything else"! Sam's heart melted and he felt torn. He knew that his desire to integrate more into society had become deeply associated in his mind with the name change. He knew it was a big deal, but it was a big deal he was ready for. There was still plenty of continuity. He'd still look the same, be the same person both intrinsically and officially, but socially he was Sam now, not Archie. But it was rocking his relationship with the woman he loved most in the world, and he couldn't bear to see Tina's heartbreak like this. It was just too much for her to take in, and as the minutes turned into hours, even poor Barbara was visibly, and audibly tiring. They all agreed to take a break and carry on the next day and, as the elder sister wisely suggested, to perhaps "sleep on it".
True enough, sometimes the next day things can seem different and a solution dawned on Archie even as he brushed his teeth. Although he couldn't possibly imagine what it might be like for Tina to love a man she had never seen and whose voice she had never clearly heard articulate a single sentence, it started to dawn on him that he may have underestimated the magnitude of what he was asking her to take on. By the time Barbara had arrived, he laid it out to her and she couldn't hide the relief from her eyes. "Hi Tina, how are you? I just have to tell you straight away what Sam, er, Archie er, you know, just suggested to me!" Her excitement was tangible and Tina already felt a little of the tension lift from her face. "Ar...Sa.... he suggests that he have both names! What do you think? He says sorry, he knows now that he was asking too much of you, that he has no idea how important the name you know him so deeply by is to you. He didn't want to shake you, even though he still wants deep change and more connections in his life. So will you please keep calling him Archie, but not mind if others call him Sam?"
It was all still so much to take on, but over the next few days Tina began to see the wisdom in this compromise. Her partner really wasn't comfortable with Archie any more in his growing groups of friends and fellow volunteers. Both of them started to see Archie as a special name, just for her, almost like "darling" and they both soon readjusted successfully to this new state of affairs.
THE END?
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