So, as I was talking with my mother last night, I was reminded of a funny little thing that occurred during one of our race weekends. It was April of 2009 and we were going to our first Talladega race. (yes, the Talladega my sweet puppy boy was named after) If you know anything about Talladega, Alabama, then you know there is literally nothing there besides a track, a small gas station and a few hidden homes. If you go to the race; you either camp outside the track or stay in one of the towns 30+ minutes away.
Mom and I stayed in this quaint little town of Gardendale, AL. The day before the race we went shopping at some mall it took hours to find. Yes, we went shopping on this trip just like all our other trips (Surprise, Surprise). Well, after leaving the mall, we decided to stop and eat before going back to the hotel. There was some really run down, scary looking burger place or KFC. Not much of a decision needed to be made.
We went inside and ordered our food and went to sit and eat. It was rather chilly inside the KFC, so I decided to run out to the car real quick to grab a sweatshirt and avoid freezing while eating. As I walked out to the car, this other vehicle with occupants that looked like they might be from the hood pulled up right next to ours. They weren't exactly the crowd I felt like interacting with although they were trying to get my attention and ask for directions as I was leaning in my car to find my sweatshirt. After 5 seconds of not answering them, they became a bit more obnoxious. I decided to continue ignoring them as they seemed slightly intoxicated (slurred words and obnoxious).
As I was about to stand up from leaning into my car and walk back inside they honked the horn at me twice to get my attention as I was standing up. This really rubbed me the wrong way, so I decided to be a bit dramatic. I stood up and turned around to them with a complete look of shock on my face and said not a word. The driver who was now laughing because he finally got my attention began to ask me for directions. So I just kind of stared at him and used my ASL to sign that I was deaf and not hearing. I played off that I totally didn't hear/comprehend a word the dude said and signed that I was sorry, but that I didn't understand him. He and his friends all of a sudden got really quiet and bashful. I have never seen an obnoxious punk look that embarrassed. He started telling me he was sorry really loudly (as most people do thinking that will make the deaf hear them better) and threw his car into reverse and peeled out of that parking lot as quickly as he could.
I walked back into the restaurant laughing hysterically and told my mom all about it. That was probably one of the funniest things I have ever done to teach an obnoxious jerk a lesson. My ASL professor got a kick out of the story too the following week.
Lesson to be learned: never be an obnoxious dork to someone with a twisted sense of humor or you will likely be humiliated. Hope this little story brightened your day!
Showing posts with label Deaf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deaf. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
What's your sign?
Ok, now that I have gotten your attention, you should know that there is no way I would ever be fiddling with astrology and the crock that comes with it. What I am talking about here is the beautiful language of ASL. Growing up in a large church meant having an interpreter for the deaf in the main service. I remember always watching and studying him or her. It was beautiful. They way they moved with fluidity and the expressions on their faces or those moments when the pastor would say something slang that was hard to interpret and the look of frustration on their faces. It was great. There was a guy a few years older than me, I was never close to him, but I would watch from across the room when he and his sister would converse. Watching someone use American Sign Language is captivating.
I always wanted to learn ASL, but never had the chance. Sure, we learned the abc's in kindergarten and the signs to the song "Jesus Loves Me". That doesn't cut it. It wasn't until it was time to sign up for my classes for my sophomore year, that I realized the opportunity was right there. At Florida State, as I am sure it is with many other universities, you are required to take two semesters of a foreign language in order to earn your degree. I had taken Spanish in high school and wasn't all that thrilled about doing it again. French was just too sloppy for me. Then my academic adviser suggested American Sign Language. I thought, "It's English. There is no way it counts as a foreign language." Oh how wrong I was. I signed up for the class excited that I was finally going to get to learn sign and get an easy "A".
Fall term came and I walked into my most anticipated class. The teacher was up at the front messing with the computer and prompter to show our syllabus and there was a lady standing next to him. She looked too old to be taking a bachelor's level college course. I sat down with a friend of mine and class began. The teacher, Alex, started signing at a normal speed (which is pretty fast). We all had a look of confusion on our faces. What was going on? Then he pointed to the lady, she walked over and began to interpret what he was saying. We were informed that our teacher for ASL 1 was, in fact, deaf himself and that she would only be there for this class period only. After that first day, we were going to be on our own. Talk about being thrown to the wolves. Your teacher is deaf and you know nothing about sign language or the deaf community.
The semester went on and after a few weeks I was completely comfortable with Alex as a teacher. He was great! We would play different games in order to see how hard it was for a deaf person to communicate in a hearing world. In one class he was teaching us about how phone calls are made and even made a call in the middle of class for us. I learned a good deal of sign language in that class and was excited to keep going. At the end of the semester, he gave each of us a sign name and invited us to a "deaf dinner." Apparently, this deaf dinner thing happens every month in the local mall food court. Much of the deaf community gathers and eats from what ever place they want while conversing with each other. They were informed that ASL students would be there and allowed us to watch and even taught us a few things while there too. It was one of the most amazing experiences in college.
The next semester I signed up for ASL 2 and found a class on the deaf community. During my Deaf Culture class I was amazed at the capability of the deaf community. Best part of the semester was that both my DC and my ASL 2 classes were taught by two different deaf people. Now I really had to know my signs. Try asking a professor a question with signs. It gets pretty hysterical at times. My eyes were opened almost every day. From the deaf schools and communities to the deaf comedy clubs, it was wonderful. I continued on to ASL 3 and became somewhat friends with my teacher (she taught me ASL 2 the previous semester). It was nice to be able to converse with her about her family and I remember that one day I had gotten my hair cut. This was something that most of my close friends had not noticed. I walked into class and quietly sat down. Class began and she saw me and did a double take. She ordered me to stand up (the deaf don't comprehend the word embarrassment) in the middle of the class just so she could see me better. Then she began applauding. I had no idea what she was doing. Then she started motioning like she was cutting her hair and pointed at me and told me it was beautiful and she loved it. I thanked her and sat down completely embarrassed and laughing to myself.
It is amazing how many things we miss as the hearing. The senses of the deaf are amazing. If you would like to see more of how the deaf interact with the hearing, I have recently found a new show that I have fallen in love with. "Switched at Birth" You can find it on ABC Family and play catch up on their website. Right now that have all 11 episodes that have aired so far. http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/switched-at-birth/videos You will learn a lot about ASL, the deaf, and even some signs yourself.
I am still somewhat obsessed with the deaf. Recently I have thought about going back from some ASL refresher courses and getting my certification or even getting a second degree in Communication Disorders. Who knows what crazy journey I will embark on next. In the mean time, next time you come in contact with a deaf person, smile and wave. Maybe even engage them in a conversation. They aren't mutants and you can't catch being deaf. This group of people are just like you and me with the only exception of a different form of communication.
Remember, you could be treated and shunned just like they are daily. Next time you think you have it bad because everyone laughs at the two different shoes you put on for work that morning, look on the bright side, you're not deaf and made fun of for it. Embrace the deaf and you may even make a life time friend.
Oh, and my sign is a "B" while doing the sign/motion for a happy face or smile. :) Catch ya later!
I always wanted to learn ASL, but never had the chance. Sure, we learned the abc's in kindergarten and the signs to the song "Jesus Loves Me". That doesn't cut it. It wasn't until it was time to sign up for my classes for my sophomore year, that I realized the opportunity was right there. At Florida State, as I am sure it is with many other universities, you are required to take two semesters of a foreign language in order to earn your degree. I had taken Spanish in high school and wasn't all that thrilled about doing it again. French was just too sloppy for me. Then my academic adviser suggested American Sign Language. I thought, "It's English. There is no way it counts as a foreign language." Oh how wrong I was. I signed up for the class excited that I was finally going to get to learn sign and get an easy "A".
Fall term came and I walked into my most anticipated class. The teacher was up at the front messing with the computer and prompter to show our syllabus and there was a lady standing next to him. She looked too old to be taking a bachelor's level college course. I sat down with a friend of mine and class began. The teacher, Alex, started signing at a normal speed (which is pretty fast). We all had a look of confusion on our faces. What was going on? Then he pointed to the lady, she walked over and began to interpret what he was saying. We were informed that our teacher for ASL 1 was, in fact, deaf himself and that she would only be there for this class period only. After that first day, we were going to be on our own. Talk about being thrown to the wolves. Your teacher is deaf and you know nothing about sign language or the deaf community.
The semester went on and after a few weeks I was completely comfortable with Alex as a teacher. He was great! We would play different games in order to see how hard it was for a deaf person to communicate in a hearing world. In one class he was teaching us about how phone calls are made and even made a call in the middle of class for us. I learned a good deal of sign language in that class and was excited to keep going. At the end of the semester, he gave each of us a sign name and invited us to a "deaf dinner." Apparently, this deaf dinner thing happens every month in the local mall food court. Much of the deaf community gathers and eats from what ever place they want while conversing with each other. They were informed that ASL students would be there and allowed us to watch and even taught us a few things while there too. It was one of the most amazing experiences in college.
The next semester I signed up for ASL 2 and found a class on the deaf community. During my Deaf Culture class I was amazed at the capability of the deaf community. Best part of the semester was that both my DC and my ASL 2 classes were taught by two different deaf people. Now I really had to know my signs. Try asking a professor a question with signs. It gets pretty hysterical at times. My eyes were opened almost every day. From the deaf schools and communities to the deaf comedy clubs, it was wonderful. I continued on to ASL 3 and became somewhat friends with my teacher (she taught me ASL 2 the previous semester). It was nice to be able to converse with her about her family and I remember that one day I had gotten my hair cut. This was something that most of my close friends had not noticed. I walked into class and quietly sat down. Class began and she saw me and did a double take. She ordered me to stand up (the deaf don't comprehend the word embarrassment) in the middle of the class just so she could see me better. Then she began applauding. I had no idea what she was doing. Then she started motioning like she was cutting her hair and pointed at me and told me it was beautiful and she loved it. I thanked her and sat down completely embarrassed and laughing to myself.
It is amazing how many things we miss as the hearing. The senses of the deaf are amazing. If you would like to see more of how the deaf interact with the hearing, I have recently found a new show that I have fallen in love with. "Switched at Birth" You can find it on ABC Family and play catch up on their website. Right now that have all 11 episodes that have aired so far. http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/switched-at-birth/videos You will learn a lot about ASL, the deaf, and even some signs yourself.
I am still somewhat obsessed with the deaf. Recently I have thought about going back from some ASL refresher courses and getting my certification or even getting a second degree in Communication Disorders. Who knows what crazy journey I will embark on next. In the mean time, next time you come in contact with a deaf person, smile and wave. Maybe even engage them in a conversation. They aren't mutants and you can't catch being deaf. This group of people are just like you and me with the only exception of a different form of communication.
Remember, you could be treated and shunned just like they are daily. Next time you think you have it bad because everyone laughs at the two different shoes you put on for work that morning, look on the bright side, you're not deaf and made fun of for it. Embrace the deaf and you may even make a life time friend.
Oh, and my sign is a "B" while doing the sign/motion for a happy face or smile. :) Catch ya later!
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