As a JW I was in a cong where there was a deaf group. When the interpreters moved away they asked the cong if there was anyone who wanted to learn. I could not contain myself I wanted this. My first year living with my mother we went on the bus to a convention in New York City. Many of the deaf group were on the bus and I was fascinated. Such magic of expression and hands. I volunteered. This was like a gift being handed to me.
So one of the deaf sisters took me on and taught me sign language. I learned how to interpret and it was the one thing as a JW I was mpost proud of. In those early years the interpreters used Signed English - a word for word interpretation of what is being said on the platform. It is like ... well listen ing to a boring speaker.
Most people who use sign language use American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is a language itself. It has its own syntax. Tone of voice is expressed through body language and facial expression. It is a manual, facial and physical form of expression.
Mouthy/Grace remembers me signing. I was good at it. Probably because I loved it so much. But I also had a great teacher. We spent hours and days together communicating. In the beginning we did a lot of writing. But I learned fast. By the end of the day my head was swimming because I was concentrating so hard on learning this new and wonderful language. At nights my hands would be spelling and signing in my sleep. I was totally hooked to sign language.
I got a couple of bonuses from all this. My second child was about 6 months old when I started learning. So she learned right along with me. Before she was 1 yr old she could sign to me and had a vocabulary of over 50 words. This is phenomenal. Most children don't begin to talk until much later. But children who learn sign language from very early are way ahead of children who don't. Little kids understand much more than they can communicate. And children develop manual dexterity long before they begin to learn how to control their tongues to talk. So my second child had two languages from the beginning - English and ASL.
Another bonus for me was that it helped raise my self-esteem. After years of abuse as a child and then in an unhappy marriage sign language gave me something that nothing else had ever done - I began to think I was good at something. And I was good. The elders usually chose me to do the main talks or any important talk. People would often come up to me and thank me. hearing people told me they would sit in places where they could watch me. (personally I now think they were probably bored with the same old talks and I provided the entertainment). Along with my self-esteem I learned to look at people in the eye. As an abuse survivor I never looked people in the eye. I was so uncomfortable. I thought they could see all the bad in me and that I deserved the abuse - I was damaged goods. The signing helped me realize I wasn't all bad. (this was before I got any therapy mind you)
But one other very important bonus for me was a friendship that I treasured. The sister was my friend. She was homey and comforting. Through her eyes I learned I was OK as a person. Out of all the people I missed after I left the WTS she was the one I missed the most. And over the years I tried to find out where she lived but there never was a listing.
Now the purpose of all of this....
A few months ago I tried finding her again. I had no idea if she was still a JW. Or even if she still lived in the same house. But as I searched for her and her husband I found nothing. So I decided to try a search on her children. And BINGO I found her daughter (P).
Now finding her daughter(P) was interesting. When my youngest child (the one who knew signing from early) was around 8 (I think) the school for children with disabilities was trying an experiment. They wanted to bring able bodied children into the school and pair them up with the physically challenged and hearing impaired children. My daughter was the right age and wanted to go so I sent her for the year. She already knew many signs and could "talk" with her friend (P) (the daughter I found on the net.)
I had taken care of P when her mother went into the hospital to have her second child. P was often in our home or my kids were in theirs. (BTW Both my girls learned to sign) I remembered her well.
So there I was with some info about her life and work. And very tentatively emailed her. I told her I would understand if she did not want to contact me. It took a while (seems she is very busy) but at the beginning of Mar I got a response from her. And she isn't a JW anymore. Her mother still has contact with her so she isn't bing shunned. So I answered her email and let her know a bit more and told her how much I missed her mom.
Well I just logged on and P has responded. Her mom would love to hear from me. Oh lordy I'm getting weepy again.
So I emailed her mom directly and now I'm holding my breath. I don't know if she is still a JW (her husband was an elder in the deaf group and a wonderful kind and loving man)
My email is sent and I'm on hold.