Devoid of hearing - Tom

This is to describe my walk around the city of Portsmouth. I should really start by saying that my I pod was in for the whole walk and was really hard to hear anything other than my music. Starting at the Portland building, I walked down the road past the Cathedral and towards the dockyard. Fortunately as it was quite a main road I could see cars’ coming which was a good thing as I certainly couldn’t hear them! The dockyard was an enjoyable part of the journey and the view to the spinnaker tower was particularly amazing. I should also say that I was following the millennium trail on the ground which was useful throughout the journey as due to the lack of hearing at least I could see “my path”. My journey continued towards the promenade by the sea front and as it was such a clear day the view out to the horizon was amazing. Even though I couldn’t hear the sea at the shore I still experienced it with my other senses. The smell in particular was typical of the sea side. I also noticed on the promenade that the lampposts were an interesting and unusual shape which is completely different to those I see at home. The light would also help someone with lack of hearing to see their path. Toward the end of my journey I came across an avenue of houses where once again illumination would not be a problem. This avenue was also interesting as there was a contrast in the design and look of the houses. My journey ended at the Eldon building where the sloping window was particularly distinguishing. Travelling around a city without any clear hearing is an experience that one may not be used to. It does make one appreciate their surroundings much more with sight being the dominant sense.
It was unusual not being unable to hear traffic which would give a sense of whether or not it was safe to cross. I also felt that I did not fully appreciate areas such as Old Portsmouth as I could not hear the seagulls and the boats when I was on the sea wall. It was very disappointing for me to not be able to fully appreciate the whole of my surroundings. I also felt less secure especially in Somers Town when I walked through it at night. At one point a number of youths ran past me in a hurry. They could have been running from the Police or from a crime. It may seem that I am over reacting but I did feel very disconcerted without my hearing. As a result I was looking around me much more and felt much more stressed.