What are your reasons for working at home?  I'll tell you part of my reasons, hearing loss that's getting more lost every year.  Within the past 2 years I had 2 very good telemarketing jobs, I lost both of them, one because I wasn't hearing the customers on the phone properly, the second because my boss was constantly walking around while giving orders, he would walk very far away and speaking behind me, I couldn't hear what he was saying. 
Another reason, I can't hear if an ambulance is behind me while I'm driving, I didn't drive much before and very rarely now.  I've lost my ability to hear high-pitched sounds, birds chirping, some female voices and some low-speaking male voices.  Hearing loss comes from both sides of my family, sometimes it's hereditary, sometimes it's not.  It can affect some members of the family and not others, it can be immediate such as with my son and my neice, it can be later in life such as I'm going through now and my brothers also in recent years. 

I'd like to feature last year's 3rd place contestant from American Idol, Elliot Yamin, he had numerous ear surgeries including an eardrum graft which did not help his hearing.  My son also had numerous surgeries, an eardrum graft was suggested but later the doctor said it wasn't necessary and may not help.   My neice and my father also had ear surgeries, hearing loss is still a part of their lives but it doesn't cut down on their living.

Elliot Yamin can only hear in one ear, he can probably hear himself less then the audience hears him...listen to this spectacular performance: 

Elliot Yamin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot_Yamin

"Wait For You" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeFd9lgoYkk

If you'd like to learn American Sign Language, here are 2 DVD's I highly recommend from
Webster's Millenium, available at Barnes & Noble:
"Getting Started In Signing" and "Say It By Signing"

You can watch and rewatch these while learning at your own pace, you may also want to get a book to study the sign alphabet.
The DVD's show people signing while talking, then without talking, slowly, then quickly.  They do all the signs for relatives, rooms of your home, sports, ordering in a restaurant, signs for different jobs, going shopping, clothing, etc.  Peoples' rate of learning is usually in balance with the urgency to learn.

Hi Kathleen,

My reason for working at home is because I have 2 bulging disc in my back.

I have worked for myself for many years, I was in the Auction and Antique Business in Natchez, Ms. And I am very active and always doing something to rearrange something in my business to help appearances. Buying and bringing in new merchandise was my biggest job. I did have help, but as I stated, I'm very active and could not sit back and let the others do the work.

After a while, was unable to do this, for hurting my back. Well it has gotten worse.  The doctors want to operate, but I feel like if I can get a less active, stressful job, would be my solution. Because the doctor had said, as long as I was in the business I was in, my back would get no better.

So here I am, trying to make a living at home. So far things are looking good, I've met some wonderful people here at adland that help me when in need.

Thanks for listening

Bj

Hi BJ,

There are lots of good friends here and many of them also have back problems, that sounds very painful.  I can't imagine what that would be like, we use our back for every move we make.  I hope you feel better or find a medical solution.  Thanks for posting, I was wondering about other peoples' reasons for working from home, some of us are full-time, some part-time after coming home from day jobs, for some people being at home is a necessity from raising children or many other reasons not to work at another place of employment.

Hi Kathleen,

Thank you for sharing your story with us.I can identify with you I lost a lot of my hearing at a young age.When I was a kid I was very big on Jazz.I used to blast the stereo very loud for hours My .Mom and Dad were both hard of hearing.Some Doctors have said it is hereditary,others said it was the loud music.It's better for me to work at home.I wear two hearing aid's.I have speaker phones all over the house.When I watch TV I have T.V.Ear's.It's a wireless headset that works by batteries,and  it has volume control.Without them I could not hear the TV. I got them from Advanced Quality Hearing System's in Boca Raton FL.  The number is 561-989-0120 for anyone interested.Before that I could only watch movies with English Titles.So far this has been the only physical challenge I have had so all I could say is "Thank You God" I have been blessed! Besides that, I love working from home because I am my own Boss and the Master of my Destiny.

Think Abundance,It Work's,

Marty Bromberg

Hi Marty,

I'm glad you told me that, I was reluctant to tell people about my hearing loss and how it has changed my life whether I wanted it to or not.  I also listen to lots of music, not too loud but I like to hear the same songs over and over.  Lately I don't even do that very often, I'm trying to hold on to what I have left.

The actor Richard Thomas (JohnBoy from The Waltons) spoke about his hearing loss and said he didn't want hearing aids, some noises got on his nerves anyway.  My father and uncle say the same thing.  Some sounds did annoy me when I could hear them, such as very early chirping birds.  On the other hand, we lived near a fire station for a few years and that didn't bother me at all, I only heard the trucks momentarily as they passed our house, not the full sound of them coming from half a mile away...everyone else had to put up with it. Ha!  There is an upside to it.