Who I Am

words and music by Julie Thompson
© 2018 Julie Thompson

Julie tells us:

“In 1991 singer/songwriter Brownie Macintosh invited me to sing and voice for a commissioned radio show about deaf awareness. Soon we were featured on a TV public service announcement singing and signing with teachers and students of the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf in Portland, Maine. That was where I met Ann, a teacher, deaf since birth. In one of our pre-production meetings I asked Ann what it was like to be deaf, and whether she ever wished she could hear. What she said inspired this song. She said she would not change a thing: she likes her life and is happy; she likes being who she is. Her words had a profound effect on me, causing a shift in my mind.

“I remembered my friend Lisa from college, who, at age eight, had a disease that took her ability to walk. She, too, during our private conversations, told me that she liked being who she was. She was still happy even though she needed others to help her every day.

“I have found that the echoing chorus of this song encourages immediate participation by both adults and children. I’ve used it in classes for tots and families, at church events, and at a Peace Action Annual Meeting. I feel the song represents peace with oneself.”

You can also view Julie's video for the song on YouTube.