nervous

how was the crab...

well.................I think I must have felt how deaf people feel in a hearing world.........I will be honest here.........I felt totaly out of place, out of my elimante, I felt weird and disorinted. It was bright and quite...I couldnt get used to the silence, my brain kept wanting music and te sound of people chattering. Everything i learned in class, all of my signs went out the window!! I felt like a total idiot standing there. I watched the beauty and grace of people singing around me and felt totaly overwhelmed at learning this elegant languge. I had to keep reminding myself that I have only been taking asl for a month and to give myself time!! this is a whole new language after all. I have been reading so much about deaf culture and find it so interesting, i just want to learn everything i can! So, hopefully at my next deaf event ( a deaf play in june) i will be able to communicate a little bit better! By the way, the crab was GREAT!!! Michelle
 
michelled said:
well.................I think I must have felt how deaf people feel in a hearing world.........I will be honest here.........I felt totaly out of place, out of my elimante, I felt weird and disorinted. It was bright and quite...I couldnt get used to the silence, my brain kept wanting music and te sound of people chattering. Everything i learned in class, all of my signs went out the window!! I felt like a total idiot standing there. I watched the beauty and grace of people singing around me and felt totaly overwhelmed at learning this elegant languge. I had to keep reminding myself that I have only been taking asl for a month and to give myself time!! this is a whole new language after all. I have been reading so much about deaf culture and find it so interesting, i just want to learn everything i can! So, hopefully at my next deaf event ( a deaf play in june) i will be able to communicate a little bit better! By the way, the crab was GREAT!!! Michelle
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Just know, that it does get easier the more you go. My first night, the only people that even looked at me were the ones from my deaf church. Second time, I chatted slowly with both friends from church as well as 1 or 2 new ones. Last night, I was chatting away with those from church and about 6-8 others. Everyone I signed with really slowed down and made it easier on me. they also corrected me on a few signs and told me what some signs were that I didn't know. Now, they are asking me to make sure my son will participate next time in 2 weeks. They are willing to help him learn also.
 
michelled said:
well.................I think I must have felt how deaf people feel in a hearing world.........I will be honest here.........I felt totaly out of place, out of my elimante, I felt weird and disorinted. It was bright and quite...I couldnt get used to the silence, my brain kept wanting music and te sound of people chattering. Everything i learned in class, all of my signs went out the window!! I felt like a total idiot standing there. I watched the beauty and grace of people singing around me and felt totaly overwhelmed at learning this elegant languge. I had to keep reminding myself that I have only been taking asl for a month and to give myself time!! this is a whole new language after all. I have been reading so much about deaf culture and find it so interesting, i just want to learn everything i can! So, hopefully at my next deaf event ( a deaf play in june) i will be able to communicate a little bit better! By the way, the crab was GREAT!!! Michelle
Click to expand...

To the bold: BINGO. :lol:

To the rest: don't sweat it. You're not the first awkward-feeling hearing person that Deaf people have been around. :) Nobody is going to make fun of you or mistreat you, provided you are respectful and mature (which is how we all ought to act anyway). So your first task, before anything else, is to just try and let go of your own discomfort and feelings of inadequacy. Nobody is expecting you to be a perfect, fluent signer, and if they are, then screw them. But, keep in mind that feeling embarrassed can make you less receptive to help, and it can make it difficult for others to reach out to you. Try to relax. It helps to have a :beer: or two. :) Good luck at your next one!
 
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