What's the Difference Between My Eyes and Ears?

What's the difference between my eyes and ears?

My whole life,I've been taught to use my eyes as ears.

I didn't know it would teach me to see that in others, too.

The social butterfly, floating from table to table, hands moving faster than words,smile creases growing deeper with every laugh.

I watch people nod and smile, perhaps with sympathy for the way I struggle to articulate certain words, or for the momentI almost walked straight into the television while playing a virtual reality game.

But when I look into their curious brown eyes, they don't quite meet mine.

Instead, they drift just a little to the side.

To my ears.

My smile slowly begins to fade as I realize they're more fascinated by the tiny red blinking light coming from my right ear

than by the excitement sparkling in my eyes as I tell my story.

So I smile back at them with sympathy.

Because now they know the why.

Why I constantly move my hair throughout the day.

Why I angle my face when someone speaks to me.

Why I quietly pull out my mirror just to check my side profile.

"Oh, don't worry, you don't have anything on the side of your face,"she tells me.

I smile.

"Thanks."

But I'm not checking how my nose looks from the side.

I'm checking to see if my ears are showing.

Or maybe...

if my eyes are hidden.

As I close my mirror and place it back into my purse,

I can't help but wonder…

What's the difference between my eyes and my ears?