I went to the post office in Marysville, during my lunch break, to drop off a bunch of Christmas cards and needed stamps for them. When I got to the front desk, the post office lady clerk recognized me and wrote on a Post-It-Note as I paid for the stamps: “You’re the Appeal-Democrat girl.”

I smiled. I thought that was funny. I usually don’t have people recognizing me outside the office other than speaker situations. “Oh! You’re that girl at the newspaper!”

Speaking of that, I need to mention a speaker event I attended, while I have this spare time in between web projects and other web-related activities.

Last October 30, I went over to Yuba College to visit the ASL 1 classes. Cari Brooks, the instructor for the two afternoon classes, invited me to speak (actually, sign) to her class and tell about my life experiences as a Deaf person. I found out that they had two other speakers before me — an ASL interpreter and a hard of hearing man.

I basically told my life story in ASL, compressed in about 30 minutes or so, detailing how I became deaf, my experiences growing up in a mainstreamed school, my identity as a Deaf person, and where I am now. I don’t tell my life story often but it was fun although I was really nervous. After that, was Q & A time in which students asked me questions related to deafness; ASL, cochlear implants, sign language in the family, Baby Signs, speech therapy, dating, education for the deaf, job hunting, and experiences with hearing counterparts.

There was an interpreter on stand-by for any communication clarifications but we didn’t need to use her services except later, during Q & A when I was asked to share my Japanese-American background in which my great-grandparents met through picture exchanges, and family members that were sent to internment camp during World War II at Amache, Colorado. The interpreter was also a friend of mine that had spoken with the class prior, and we related a story together in which she discovered after 10+ years of friendship, that I liked heavy metal music and was expecting her to accompany me to an Ozzfest concert. Needless to say, plans fell apart and nobody went to the Ozzfest concert, but the incident marked her memory as one of those palm-in-face moments when she realized that being deaf didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy music. You just experienced it differently.

She and I talked to the last class about equal access in music in addition to equal access in communications, how ASL music differs from ASL translated music, and how Deaf people can enjoy music despite being profoundly deaf. We used a music video on YouTube created by a videographer that goes by st0rmfx, as an illustration of ASL translated music. Interestingly, while I was in Orange County, my interpreters for the first 2-3 days were discussing this same interpreter and his video works!

Life stories are great to share; not just because you’re Deaf but also because of the many facets that make up who you are. Everywhere I go, I like to meet new people and try to ask what their life story is. It’s another reason why I like to socialnetwork online and read other people’s blogs.

I’m looking forward to returning to ASL 1 classes next semester — seems I’ve been asked to come back.