babycullen8
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- Mar 7, 2013
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My name is Shelby. To clarify, I am a hearing person. But I am completely fascinated by the deaf/hoh community. My first experience with someone who was deaf was when I was about 8 years old. I was in church camp, and I don't remember when or how we met, but I found myself hanging out with this girl named Midae. Almost the second we met, we became best best best BEST friends, even though I couldn't sign much. We mostly finger-spelled, because that was all my mom had taught me. Of course, being that young and with no previous experience, I didn't REALLY understand the concept of not being able to hear (i later learned that she was profoundly deaf) but I understood that signing was her way of communicating, and I never questioned it. That was just part of who she was. I was completely drawn to her. And for some reason I don't quite understand, she was drawn to me too, and every time I think about her I feel so blessed to have had such an amazing person in my life, deaf or not. I am sad to say I lost contact with her, as is the way of a lot of childhood friends.
My next experience with signing was about 6 years later, in high school. Sometimes the ASL club would do a presentation during the morning announcements, or an assembly. But they were songs and what not that most people understood. Around that time, my mom had bought me an ASL phrase book. I was so freaking excited it was ridiculous. I got a few chapters in, but unfortunately, I had just started high school, and my time was completely consumed by marching band. I hadn't learned to prioritize and make time for miscellaneous wants/desires yet. And my Dad made me take Spanish in school, instead of ASL, because that's what his family spoke.
My first REAL experience with signing was a couple of years later (junior year) when I met my friend Brian, who is deaf. He could read lips pretty well so we understood each other okay. On the first day of school, his interpreter came to the classroom. At the time, I didn't know that's what they were called, nor did I know that they could be provided for deaf students mainstreaming. My knowledge on the deaf/hoh community at the time was limited to my experience with Midae. When my teacher started introducing himself, and Brian's interpreter started interpreting, I was so completely captivated. This is going to sound so cheesy, but it was one of the coolest and most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was enraptured, especially when my teacher would be lecturing us. I would always watched Brian's interpreter, and I ended up learning a few signs from her.
Finally, I picked up my phrase book again. I would read it off and on, getting a few pages farther, because I wanted to make sure I had the signs down before I moved on. When I started my first part-time job at a restaurant in the mall, It was a while before I had long enough shifts and was on my own. Eventually, I started getting deaf and hoh customers. I found myself grinning like an idiot whenever I did, just because I was so thrilled to meet them. I decided to step it up, and I brought my phrase book to work. I would read it under the register whenever it was slow. Finally, another deaf customer came to my restaurant. He showed me his phone to show me what he wanted to order, and I decided now was the time to practice my signing to someone who knows the language. When I began signing to him, his jaw dropped. Before, he looked impassive, but when I started signing to him, his grin matched mine
Now I didn't know a lot, but I taught myself enough to be able to take his order, ask him questions about his order, and generally conversate. He started signing back, and he conveyed to me how awesome it was to be able to talk to me, however limited my signing was. More encounters happened like this, and almost each time I would go home and tell my mom about it, that same stupid grin on my face
After a while, my mom asked me why didn't I pursue signing as a career. Up until that point, that thought had never crossed my mind before. I asked her if she thought I could do it. She told me other than music, I've never shown this much passion or excitement about anything before. I realized she was right. So after doing some research, I decided I wanted to become an ASL Interpreter. At that point classes had already started, so I've been learning what I can on my own until they start up again in the fall. Now that's all well and good, but I know there's a lot more to it than just learning signs. Even when I start classes in the fall, it won't be much different, because most or all of the students will be in the same boat as me. I could learn/hang out with Brian, but he moved, and our schedules clash too much. Of course he has a computer so we could Skype, but he's so busy he doesn't really have the time. He can text, but that won't work for obvious reasons. So, I started messing around with Google, and here I am
I want to make friends with anyone who's willing in the deaf community. I'd like to make friends with anyone who's willing and has the patience to teach me. Even if you don't have the time, or if for whatever reason you don't sign or whatever, we can still be friends Please don't be mean, as I've come here with the purest intentions and an open heart. I want to be here. So, again, hello everyone
My next experience with signing was about 6 years later, in high school. Sometimes the ASL club would do a presentation during the morning announcements, or an assembly. But they were songs and what not that most people understood. Around that time, my mom had bought me an ASL phrase book. I was so freaking excited it was ridiculous. I got a few chapters in, but unfortunately, I had just started high school, and my time was completely consumed by marching band. I hadn't learned to prioritize and make time for miscellaneous wants/desires yet. And my Dad made me take Spanish in school, instead of ASL, because that's what his family spoke.
My first REAL experience with signing was a couple of years later (junior year) when I met my friend Brian, who is deaf. He could read lips pretty well so we understood each other okay. On the first day of school, his interpreter came to the classroom. At the time, I didn't know that's what they were called, nor did I know that they could be provided for deaf students mainstreaming. My knowledge on the deaf/hoh community at the time was limited to my experience with Midae. When my teacher started introducing himself, and Brian's interpreter started interpreting, I was so completely captivated. This is going to sound so cheesy, but it was one of the coolest and most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was enraptured, especially when my teacher would be lecturing us. I would always watched Brian's interpreter, and I ended up learning a few signs from her.
Finally, I picked up my phrase book again. I would read it off and on, getting a few pages farther, because I wanted to make sure I had the signs down before I moved on. When I started my first part-time job at a restaurant in the mall, It was a while before I had long enough shifts and was on my own. Eventually, I started getting deaf and hoh customers. I found myself grinning like an idiot whenever I did, just because I was so thrilled to meet them. I decided to step it up, and I brought my phrase book to work. I would read it under the register whenever it was slow. Finally, another deaf customer came to my restaurant. He showed me his phone to show me what he wanted to order, and I decided now was the time to practice my signing to someone who knows the language. When I began signing to him, his jaw dropped. Before, he looked impassive, but when I started signing to him, his grin matched mine
Now I didn't know a lot, but I taught myself enough to be able to take his order, ask him questions about his order, and generally conversate. He started signing back, and he conveyed to me how awesome it was to be able to talk to me, however limited my signing was. More encounters happened like this, and almost each time I would go home and tell my mom about it, that same stupid grin on my face After a while, my mom asked me why didn't I pursue signing as a career. Up until that point, that thought had never crossed my mind before. I asked her if she thought I could do it. She told me other than music, I've never shown this much passion or excitement about anything before. I realized she was right. So after doing some research, I decided I wanted to become an ASL Interpreter. At that point classes had already started, so I've been learning what I can on my own until they start up again in the fall. Now that's all well and good, but I know there's a lot more to it than just learning signs. Even when I start classes in the fall, it won't be much different, because most or all of the students will be in the same boat as me. I could learn/hang out with Brian, but he moved, and our schedules clash too much. Of course he has a computer so we could Skype, but he's so busy he doesn't really have the time. He can text, but that won't work for obvious reasons. So, I started messing around with Google, and here I am
I want to make friends with anyone who's willing in the deaf community. I'd like to make friends with anyone who's willing and has the patience to teach me. Even if you don't have the time, or if for whatever reason you don't sign or whatever, we can still be friends
Please don't be mean, as I've come here with the purest intentions and an open heart. I want to be here. So, again, hello everyone