DJing
When I was a young duck, I was almost completely deaf up until the age of 5 due to improperly formed eardrums. I had 3 sessions of corrective surgery over the course of 3 or 4 years and my hearing is now mostly okay, except in situations where there's lots of background noise. Even something like a busy supermarket means I can't hear someone who's standing right next to me.

This, of course, makes nights out with friends in busy pubs, bars and clubs thoroughly miserable for the most part. I end up getting frustrated and angry with myself that I can't join in the conversations because I can't hear what people are saying. People end up thinking I'm some sort of antisocial bastard because I don't join in the conversation, or worse still, appear to ignore them when they speak directly to me.

Therefore, I tend to go for evenings out where it's only a very small group of friends in a relatively quiet corner of a pub, as I can just about get by with those. Soon after I started uni, I found myself trying to think of ways of joining in the noiser nights out, and I hit upon the perfect solution.

I trawled through the pages of everyone's favourite online tat bazaar, eBay, and bought a cheap pair of decks and a mixer, and set about learning the craft of DJing. Within a few weeks I was reasonably competent, and managed to secure some DJing slots at a couple of the regular haunts of my friends. That way, I could spend the evening at the same place as my friends and not have to try to join in any conversation.

I suppose from this you could say I took up DJing in order to fit in with the nights out of my friends. There's another element to the story though - I've long since left uni, but the DJing has carried on, and I have a regular slot at a large club in Birmingham. I've DJed in plenty of places, and the one thing that's become seriously apparent is I seem to be about the only DJ around who doesn't dabble in illicit substances. Hell - I've never got even as far as class C.

I've lost count of the number of times though I've been cheekily slipped substances of various sorts as a 'thank you' (usually from bouncers). I invariably end up having to pretend to use them and end up flushing whatever it is down the bog later. So, there you go, I pretend to take drugs to fit in with the DJ crowd too.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Thu 15 Jan 2009, 13:24, 3 replies)

haha...
I have DJ'ed a bit in my day and had this too. Its the same with clubbing. I don't take anything , but when you're on a dancefloor at 4am people think you are so hand you whatever they're taking. My record was 10 pills off weirdos at SW4 on clapham last year.
(The Archduke of South London I'm in your Girlfriend eating her organs, Thu 15 Jan 2009, 13:29, closed)

I feel your pain
I've got the same problem with crowds; I can't hear a damn thing and everyone thinks I'm a miserable shite. I have to lip read people standing next to me at times.

In contast to your story, that's the exact reason I don't go clubbing in Birmingham despite being on a committee who organise this sort of thing.

Have a clickie.
(FoxyBadger (try saying it backwards), Thu 15 Jan 2009, 13:34, closed)

Not being able to hear above background noise is very common
Often I simply smile or nod or laugh in reply to what I think has been said but in reality all I heard was, "Blah, blah, hmm, gnnuoof"

Many times people have taken me for an utter idiot.

Sometimes it's even when I've misheard things.

;)
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Thu 15 Jan 2009, 14:02, closed)