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No Comments Speaking Of Hands: Speaking With Hands
Tonight I had the privilege of picking up a little sign language. Cody Romano Jersey My friend Nathan brought a man named Steven who is currently living with him to church for Thanksgiving dinner and the college worship service. Steven has been deaf for most of his life.
I have never engaged with a deaf person before tonight. For the past couple weeks Nathan has told me story after story of what it has been like to suddenly need to learn to sign in order to communicate basic things! He says it’s a chaotic mix of what he has managed to pick up over the last few weeks (he has learned quite a lot!) and charades.
This is how you sign “photograph” or “photography.” I’m pretty sure. Matthew Bailey Jersey The sign for photographer is different; it is simply the motion of clicking a camera in front of your face. Jeramy Passmore Indiana Jersey But the way photograph is signed is just beautiful to me. With your hand you are taking what you see from your eye to paper. I love it.
What an eye-opening experience it was for me to watch Steven joyfully talking away with another student well-versed in ASL. Quincy Mauger Georgia Jersey Mouthing each word. Minkah Fitzpatrick Alabama Jersey Najee Bissoon Oklahoma Sooners Jersey Although he has probably never heard the lovely sounds of orchard or correlate, acorn or caboose. (Some of my favorites.) His chest detects the bass-heavy vibrations of live music and inklings of Nathan’s deep voice… but probably not a trace of my quiet vocalizations.
I feel the urge to learn more. Christopher Smith Jersey John Petty Jr. Alabama Crimson Tide Jersey Watching people talk with their hands is so new and fascinating to me – those who can speak in both the world of signs and of spoken words and those like Steven who can only imagine what those hand movement sound like. Devin Adams Jersey Yet he can still communicate so well.
And I thought my hands were valuable… DVaughn Pennamon Jersey now I see the explosive range of uses they have for communication. Adam Jones WVU Jersey Pushing piano keys, wild gesturing, rapidly adjusting camera controls, painting expressive brush strokes…