Five-Star Disability

Why do I sign?

Why do I use American Sign Language as a form of communication?

When I was younger, oh about 34 years back, I was quite loquacious, talkative, chatty.  To specific people, mainly teachers or family and friends.

During elementary school, and the first year of junior (today’s middle) school, I was quite a chatterbox.  I can’t remember exact conversations, but I was able to talk my way around any situation.

And then my hearing took a dive into severely hard of hearing waters, and it never recovered.  Throw into that mix my vision loss; it got hard to understand things easily!

I could not lipread, I could not see your lips moving, and also the facial expressions that go with it.  Can you say impossible?

So, I learned ASL!

However, that is not the only reason!

While I flourished learning Sign Language, I even taught it for many years, I still was able to converse verbally with my family.

But, now, my voice is now a huge slur.  For example:

“Please pass the buttered buns” becomes “Plesepastbuttbuns”

“Did you eat my chocolate bar” becomes “Did you eat my caulk-lit bar?”

“Did you see that fire truck?!” becomes “Did you see ….” oh every Deaf or Hard of Hearing person knows that one!

I’ll leave the examples!  The point is, my voice once was as clear as a new puddle after a Vancouver rain storm, but now it is more a big puddle of muddy goop that has been driven through thousands of times!

My wife has started commanding that I express myself visually, instead of verbally, because even she, after 17 years of marriage and nearly 20 years of knowing each other, can’t understand me!

Ah well! Upwards and positivity!

Times are changing!

Hey, did I tell you what happened at the tailend of my London, UK, holiday?  That’s up next!

Thanks for reading!