Hi! I'm New and looking forward to meeting some amazing people :D

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John.

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Hello! My name is John and I am really excited/looking forward to meeting some awesome people and making new friends :)

I have always been interested in deaf culture and ASL, but my mom was one of those people who looked down upon deafness and thought just because you're deaf means you're not as smart or capable as hearing people which always ticked me off how she saw things. Well anyway so she forbid me from doing or learning anything about ASL or anything related. I forgot where I was going with this hahaha, but now I am 21 and seeing a deaf family the other day reignited my passionate yearning and interest in learning ASL and deaf culture that was buried by my mother's ignorance.

Currently I am not in school. I guess you could say I still never could decide what I wanted to do with my life but now I feel like I do and I want to continue school in deaf studies to become an interpreter or something of the sort related to deafness because for one I love helping people, helping others brings me joy to know i made someone else's day better or like I'm making a difference in some one else's life :D and just Idk I'm really fascinated, amazed, inspired, and just envious of how people with"disabilities" like deafness or blindness are so strong and just Idk I'm rambling lol.

I don't mean to offend anyone by how I word things, just think of it as lack of knowledge. Which is why I am here to learn and make some amazing new friends :)

So any advice and guidance is great encouraged :lol:

I look forward to hearing from you all, HoH, deaf, or just other hearies with similar interests or passion as i have :)

Oh btw, i live in San Antonio, Texas. Anyone from here too? If so message me, maybe we could Learn ASL together or attend deaf events or something lol. I have no clue of where to find events or the local deaf community so any help is appreciated :D.

I'm also looking for someone interested in teaching/Learning ASL to/with me. I know absolutely no ASL atm lol. I'm starting to watch Dr. Bill Vicars Videos though.
 
John. said:
Hello! My name is John and I am really excited/looking forward to meeting some awesome people and making new friends :)

I have always been interested in deaf culture and ASL, but my mom was one of those people who looked down upon deafness and thought just because you're deaf means you're not as smart or capable as hearing people which always ticked me off how she saw things. Well anyway so she forbid me from doing or learning anything about ASL or anything related. I forgot where I was going with this hahaha, but now I am 21 and seeing a deaf family the other day reignited my passionate yearning and interest in learning ASL and deaf culture that was buried by my mother's ignorance.

Currently I am not in school. I guess you could say I still never could decide what I wanted to do with my life but now I feel like I do and I want to continue school in deaf studies to become an interpreter or something of the sort related to deafness because for one I love helping people, helping others brings me joy to know i made someone else's day better or like I'm making a difference in some one else's life :D and just Idk I'm really fascinated, amazed, inspired, and just envious of how people with"disabilities" like deafness or blindness are so strong and just Idk I'm rambling lol.

I don't mean to offend anyone by how I word things, just think of it as lack of knowledge. Which is why I am here to learn and make some amazing new friends :)

So any advice and guidance is great encouraged :lol:

I look forward to hearing from you all, HoH, deaf, or just other hearies with similar interests or passion as i have :)

Oh btw, i live in San Antonio, Texas. Anyone from here too? If so message me, maybe we could Learn ASL together or attend deaf events or something lol. I have no clue of where to find events or the local deaf community so any help is appreciated :D.

I'm also looking for someone interested in teaching/Learning ASL to/with me. I know absolutely no ASL atm lol. I'm starting to watch Dr. Bill Vicars Videos though.
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Hi John,

My mother sometimes doesn't get it either. The other day I was visiting her and I said something about a Deaf person, or about the Deaf community, I forget exactly, but she said "Well they CAN'T DRIVE."

(beats own head with stick)

I said "Yeah, mom, they can drive. [Deaf friend's name] is a better driver than I am, and you let *me* drive you all over the place."

We had to talk through the logistics of it, and I'm not sure how deeply I reached her, but she was at least willing to seem like she believed me.

(keeps stick handy just in case.)

You said that advice is encouraged, so I'm going to throw some at you.

I think it's great that you want to learn ASL, to incorporate it into your career path, and that you have an interest in the Deaf community. But when you talk about your motivation, I wouldn't talk about it in terms of "helping people". If you have an interest in Deaf culture and ASL that's great, and if you want to interact with Deaf people, you'll need to learn the language: that can be motivation enough. To see it as helping creates the suggestion that Deaf people need help from us hearies, which creates an iffy frame for healthy cross-cultural interactions. I would suggest a different perspective: For hearing people, learning ASL, learning Deaf culture, opportunities to interact with the Deaf community, these things are **privileges**. If you start learning ASL and go to a Deaf event you'll catch on to this right away when you realize how much patience it requires for a native signer to wait for you to finish saying "Hi, my name is John" and then struggle to understand their response.

If you don't think of yourself as helping, but instead let your interactions be filled with respect and readiness for more learning, then I think you'll massively improve your chances of having a good and successful experience.

Another thing. As a fellow hearie who loooooves studying ASL and doing all the things that go with that, I know the feelings can be overwhelming. But I'd really try to cut down on words like "fascinated, amazed, inspired" and the like. Deaf people, like any people, are a diverse group of individuals. No one wants to feel labeled, even as "special and inspirational" - even something like assuming people are strong. Some people are, sometimes, some people struggle and fail, most people have good days and bad days, like anyone, you get the idea.

Ok, sorry if that felt like I beat you over the head with that stick that was supposed to be for me. I hope you have a great time here, learn lots, and find an awesome program for your studies:)
 
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tuatara said:
I think it's great that you want to learn ASL, to incorporate it into your career path, and that you have an interest in the Deaf community. But when you talk about your motivation, I wouldn't talk about it in terms of "helping people". If you have an interest in Deaf culture and ASL that's great, and if you want to interact with Deaf people, you'll need to learn the language: that can be motivation enough. To see it as helping creates the suggestion that Deaf people need help from us hearies, which creates an iffy frame for healthy cross-cultural interactions. I would suggest a different perspective: For hearing people, learning ASL, learning Deaf culture, opportunities to interact with the Deaf community, these things are **privileges**. If you start learning ASL and go to a Deaf event you'll catch on to this right away when you realize how much patience it requires for a native signer to wait for you to finish saying ""Hi, my name is John" and then struggle to understand their response.

If you don't think of yourself as helping, but instead let your interactions be filled with respect and readiness for more learning, then I think you'll massively improve your chances of having a good and successful experience.

Another thing. As a fellow hearie who loooooves studying ASL and doing all the things that go with that, I know the feelings can be overwhelming. But I'd really try to cut down on words like "fascinated, amazed, inspired" and the like. Deaf people, like any people, are a diverse group of individuals. No one wants to feel labeled, even as "special and inspirational" - even something like assuming people are strong. Some people are, sometimes, some people struggle and fail, most people have good days and bad days, like anyone, you get the idea.

Ok, sorry if that felt like I beat you over the head with that stick that I was supposed to be for me. I hope you have a great time here, learn lots, and find an awesome program for your studies:)
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;-; Thanks that'll leave a bruise, haha just kidding.

I know i didn't meant it as deaf/HoH or anything related needs help, what I was just trying to say was I love helping people in general and atm of writing that I was thinking of like being an interpreter or counselor for the deaf community, I meant no offense to anyone and am sorry if I did offend anyone :(

And you're exactly right haha these feelings are a bit overwhelming and I did get carried away. I just get really excited about this lol. Thank you though, I appreciate the time you took to read my post and the advice you beat into me hahah. :p :ty:
 
John. said:
;-; Thanks that'll leave a bruise, haha just kidding.

I know i didn't meant it as deaf/HoH or anything related needs help, what I was just trying to say was I love helping people in general and atm of writing that I was thinking of like being an interpreter or counselor for the deaf community, I meant no offense to anyone and am sorry if I did offend anyone :(

And you're exactly right haha these feelings are a bit overwhelming and I did get carried away. I just get really excited about this lol. Thank you though, I appreciate the time you took to read my post and the advice you beat into me hahah. :p :ty:
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Haha - put some ice on it it should be fine;)

You've got a sense of humor so that's a super start.

And I understand that you didn't mean what you didn't mean - I think that comes with the excitement. It's a powerful thing. It can be a huge motivator, and at the same time, I think getting really excited can cut our IQs down by like 50 points. It's happened to me. More than once.
 
John. said:
;-; Thanks that'll leave a bruise, haha just kidding.

I know i didn't meant it as deaf/HoH or anything related needs help, what I was just trying to say was I love helping people in general and atm of writing that I was thinking of like being an interpreter or counselor for the deaf community, I meant no offense to anyone and am sorry if I did offend anyone :(

And you're exactly right haha these feelings are a bit overwhelming and I did get carried away. I just get really excited about this lol. Thank you though, I appreciate the time you took to read my post and the advice you beat into me hahah. :p :ty:
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You will offend us by your excitement or overwhelming. Don't go overboard. It is not good for you to do that to us. Most hearies with that excitement or eager are trying to help us by changing us to be like you or other hearing people. We can not change that for you or any hearies. We are the way we are as human beings, not an object as being deaf or disability person. We can do anything except that we can not hear. We need accommodations to help us know what is going on in the hearing society.

If you want to be an interpreter. That is fine. I don't know about you being a counselor for the d/Deaf and HOH. You might try asking that at the Vocational Rehabilitation Service. They are counselors for the d/Deaf and other disability people. :hmm:
 
Bebonang said:
You will offend us by your excitement or overwhelming. Don't go overboard. It is not good for you to do that to us. Most hearies with that excitement or eager are trying to help us by changing us to be like you or other hearing people. We can not change that for you or any hearies. We are the way we are as human beings, not an object as being deaf or disability person. We can do anything except that we can not hear. We need accommodations to help us know what is going on in the hearing society.
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What excites me so much is learning sign language and communicating with anyone in the Deaf community and later in life offer my services with any 'accommodations anyone from the deaf community would like. I'm not trying to change anyone lol.

I'm assuming there are lots of bad cases between hearies and deaf people? I'm sorry if there is, but it doesn't mean I'm like that. I'm a genuine person just wanting to meet new deaf people and befriend them :) and expand my zero knowledge on deaf culture/ASL to make a career in something I enjoy.

Edit: Oh and thank you for your advice :D I appreciate it.
 
I'm a somewhat average person who has brief moments of amazement.. Is that good enough?
 
John. said:
I'm assuming there are lots of bad cases between hearies and deaf people? I'm sorry if there is, but it doesn't mean I'm like that. I'm a genuine person just wanting to meet new deaf people and befriend them :) and expand my zero knowledge on deaf culture/ASL to make a career in something I enjoy.
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Yes, both individually and institutionally. For individual stories, check out http://www.alldeaf.com/our-world-our-culture/91837-annoying-ignorant-hearing-people-stories.html

For the systemic side of things, you could read any number of books on Deaf history. Mask of Benevolence is good. Basically, hearing people have, for a long time, had power over the lives of deaf people, which they have used without wisdom. A central issue is that many deaf people have been denied the opportunity to learn a natural visual language like ASL. Organizations like AGBell aggressively promote the idea that deaf people have to learn to function orally in order to be worthwhile people and try to force English (or whatever the area's prevailing spoken language is) on them. What ends up happening is that many deaf kids grow up without access, not just to a language they can really use, but all kinds of information that a person needs for healthy mental and emotional growth.

Then these kids (or the adults they become) go out into the world and are treated as inferior because their English isn't perfect. (It turns out that allowing a deaf child to learn ASL during the early years best suited for language acquisition gives them a much better chance to learn English. A solid first language is a necessary foundation for learning a second.)

That's a very brief piece of an overview, but like I said, there are books.

It's alot that the Deaf community has been through. Some Deaf people don't want anything to do with hearing people. That's their right. They don't have to like us. I would not recommend putting too much energy into trying to convince people that you're not one of the "bad hearies". Just focus on learning as respectfully as you can. Not just the language. Be aware that there are alot of stupid things alot of us do/have done because without enough exposure to the deaf experience, we don't know any better. Start learning what some of those things are so you can hopefully avoid making the same mistakes. That annoying ignorant hearing people thread is a good place to read for that.

Ok. No bruising that time I think. How far along are you with the LifePrint? Any ideas where you might try to study formally?
 
I just joined the forum today, and see people from San Antonio, TX. I live here too! I'm looking for more people to hang out with so if anyone's up for it, message me. Maybe we can get coffee or something. I don't have any friends in San Antonio, and am looking for some, preferably between 30 and 40 ish range as I'm in my 30s (though I totally tell everyone I'm 25. LOL). I am mild HOH, and just learning sign language (usually through signingsavvy and/or Lifeprint).
 
Hey! I'm not from Texas, but I'd love to skype and practice ASL with you sometime. I'm 19 at the university of Illinois. I'm a first year ASL student, despite the fact that I'm HOH. I can't hear out of my right ear at all, and I have severe hearing loss in my left. I will be profoundly deaf in the next few years. I have Ménière's disease.

My family is hearing, and even though I've always been interested in Deaf culture, they see it as a problem to be fixed, so I get what you mean about your mom.
 
ekjebe said:
Hey! I'm not from Texas, but I'd love to skype and practice ASL with you sometime. I'm 19 at the university of Illinois. I'm a first year ASL student, despite the fact that I'm HOH. I can't hear out of my right ear at all, and I have severe hearing loss in my left. I will be profoundly deaf in the next few years. I have Ménière's disease.

My family is hearing, and even though I've always been interested in Deaf culture, they see it as a problem to be fixed, so I get what you mean about your mom.
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I reside in Texas. Just had to say that. Ha. Anyway, you'll have to either post your Skye username or PM certain people with the username.
 
I'm totally up for Skyping and practicing sign if anyone is interested. Is it possible to PM on here? I'm not sure how to do that (or how to check mine). Or if anyone is in San Antonio, we can meet up for coffee. I know there's a Deaf/HOH coffee chat on the last Friday. :)
 
SweetLD215 said:
I'm totally up for Skyping and practicing sign if anyone is interested. Is it possible to PM on here? I'm not sure how to do that (or how to check mine). Or if anyone is in San Antonio, we can meet up for coffee. I know there's a Deaf/HOH coffee chat on the last Friday. :)
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Awesome! You can click on the person's username and a popup reveals itself in which you can click on "Send a private message to ekjebe". Either that or you can go to person's public profile and leave a public comment.

Yes, there is an ASL social event at Starbucks on every fourth Friday of the month in San Antonio. I was at the last social event.
 
Hey! I am also a college freshman with a hearing loss. I am teaching myself ASL and would love to practice sometime.
 
I actually took a class a few years ago, but now I am just using youtube and watching videos.
 
Ayy that's right, 4th Friday. :) Thanks for correcting respectyoda. I went once, but I'm shy so... I got too nervous to go back alone again.
 
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