My introduction to the Deaf community actually occurred in two parts (thus far). Firstly, I started college at Tennessee Temple University as a Pre-law major (for those who know about TTU, that is the Interdisciplinary BA program). I had a single semester of what my high school transcripts called "sign language" (in reality it was a cheap SEE course with a teacher I have now discovered to be, though without a Deaf relative, an oralistic audist who thinks all of us who believe in the Deaf culture/community are, and I quote, "Off our rockers"
, and my mom wonders why it wasn't accepted as a foreign language). At that point in time, I knew maybe 5-10 signs from that class and thought I was never going to use them in my life.
About 3 months into my major, and several naps through the classes taught by the person who would be teaching my upper level classes, Mrs. Mary Oxendine (who is Deaf) invited me to the Deaf service at Highland Park Baptist Church. My initial thoughts are that it wasn't for me. I was on the fast track to becoming part of the Christian Law Association and fulfilling my dreams. Well, I started having migraines shortly thereafter and about two months later, I am back in school for the spring semester and I had a migraine on a wednesday night, the day that I usually went to the Stained Glass service. Now, the Stained Glass service is the college student's service and it was held in the St Andrew's building next to the seminary building. The placement of the instruments and the 6 ft tall speakers was right in the corner of the back of the building, and the walls curved at the top in a semi-circular dome that threw all the noise back into the crowd, thus creating a reverberation that even caused some of my Deaf friends (those I have gained since I started my new major) to have trouble with the noise factor. I knew my migraine would not let me go into there that night, but, not wanting to just skip church, I remembered being invited to the Deaf service, and thought (no I am not kidding on the next part) "They don't need any speakers, or really, much loud speaking at all" and decided to go there.
Dale, who is Mary's husband, interpreter for HPBC, and head of the Deaf Ministry there, offered to voice for me, for which I was thankful, and I, with my aptitude for languages, started learning signs at that first service. At first, I was merely intrigued, then, after my third visit, fascinated with the differences between myself and the small, yet vibrant group of Deaf people, and also at the fact that two of the hearing people involved were also among my inner circle of friends (to which I have told they can't have those little chats at the table in a language nobody understands anymore, now that three of us at the table other than them know ASL). I ended up changing my major at Spring Break, despite my mother's obvious distaste for the decision (some of my former SEE teacher's philosophies rubbed off on her).
The second part was my introduction to those outside of the Deaf service at HPBC, at the Deaf Volleyball Tournament that was hosted by TTU. I remember the first person who greeted me and had a larger conversation than HI, HOW YOU and FINE was a girl named Michelle (Signed as attitude with an "M", and for good reason) who had a knack for mischief (I usually like to keep my hat on my head, not running around the basketball court).
I have since been learning a lot of things, which, if I were to write them down, I would break the word limit on the thread, so I will leave it at that, for now.