Not a lot of people know this about me out here in Boston, but I'm semi-fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). I have been removed from the Deaf culture for a while now so I no longer think in picutures, I still use deaf slang in my regular speech, and I still find myself wanting to us a sign to describe what I'm feeling.
Recently I lost my voice because I was sick. And in those few days I had a strong longing for my ASL communication. I found myself talking about my ASL mission experiences, signing a little to people who had no idea what I was saying, and mostly praying in ASL. There is something so beautiful about the silence in that communication.
Those who know me know I love to talk to people, but there is something amazing that happens to me when I am given the opportunity to express myself in Sign Language. It's the closest way I know of communicating that feels like singing. It is much easier to express my testimony in song then in talking, but ASL seems to be inbetween.
Like most other things there is much contraversy in the Deaf culture, among Deaf people, CODAs (children of deaf adults), and hearing people. And with the pain comes the joy. I am so grateful to know this language, to be able to express myself through it, and to be blessed by it!
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3 comments:
Hmmm...you are amazing. You know I was thinking the other day....you should look into becoming an interpreter at hospitals for Deaf people...you would be really good at it. Love you tons!
There is a guy in my ward who is deaf and there are a couple sisters who sign to him... its pretty amazing I must say. Course it was kinda funny when he fell asleep during sacrament meeting so the interpreters just signed the talks to each other.
I just found your blog---and I just took my first ASL class, and hopefully will be taking ASL 2 in the Spring. :) Hopefully! I have to go to a fast food place too, and pretend that I'm deaf and then write a paper on it.......
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