Pronouns and Philosophy

I was using some spacial referencing today and a thought crossed my mind. While I continued to interpret my brain took a rabbit trail and considered how visual languages are the only languages that can use an overabundance of pronouns and still not confuse the 'listener'. I can talk about Dad, Mom, my brother, his wife, my wife and my kids and continue to refer to them in the rest of the conversation without having to repeatedly clarify which him/her I am talking about. My kids are down and to the right in a them pronoun. My wife is directly right. I place Mom and Dad on my right front side and my brother and his wife on my left side and off we go. For those beginning signers out there remember God is up and the devil is down. And whichever side you put God on (right/left), leave him there. I'm confused if He moves around too much. Anyway, I also was using a grouping of good things on my left and unpleasant things on my right. I realized that I always put the good on my left and the bad on my right. I wonder why that is. Maybe I'm stuck in a rut. But if I change, would I be able to remember which is right and wrong, left and right? I wonder what other ruts I am in that I don't recognize? You? Something to think about.

Learning American Sign Language

At school when I meet a substitute for the first time, I get the 'wow sign language; that's so amazing; I want to learn that' speal. They don't know that I've heard it six hundred times, so I smile and nod and wish them well. Occasionally someone supprises you. When 'it' happened, I was so glad that I had smiled and nodded. This someone actually learned some sign language, then enrolled in a night course to learn more. Then they did what any normal person who wants to learn sign language does. Moves away. It's really simple. I am the only interpreter in my county. Learning sign language here would be like moving to Atlanta, Georgia, to learn Greek. If you are stuck out in the boondocks and want to learn sign the internet is wonderful. If I had to start all over and didn't have someone to teach me (not a good situation), I would go to Lifeprint.com and study under Dr. Vickers. He has a completely free online program for learning sign language. I would probably go ahead and buy some of his support CDs to help me study at home and maybe even pay and get college credit. I would also frequent youtube.com. If you type in 'ASL Vlog' as your search. Viola! Deaf people like to talk. Video logs are amazing ways to improve, but there is a learning curve. It may take as long as the second semester to actually understand what they are saying. Since the speaker is not in front of you, asking them to slow down doesn't work;however, rewind does. If I had to start again, I would want someone to point me that way. Of course, the best way is simply to move to where Deaf people live. It's so much easier to learn that way. Btw, if you do go to youtube, make sure you type in ASL and not sign language. Americans aren't the only ones that use the site and you may be completely lost trying to understand something and not realize it's one of the other 500 or so sing languages that are out there. I remember watching a song and not understanding anything. I then read the caption about how this group of teens from London was competing...... BSL and ASL don't mix, sorry we're French. (see previous post). So, my advice is to move and if you can't move take a class. Then find someone to talk with. That's the best part.

French Sign Language

I have been told many times in the course of interpreting that sign language is gramatically French. I learned how adjectives follow nouns and various other grammer specific examples. Recently, I attended a workshop given by a Deaf priest. He gave us an actual symbol that American Sign Language has kept. In ASL the index finger pointing straight up is a classifier that represents a person. This "person" can go up the stairs, down the elevator, "meet" another person, meet and greet a lot of other people, kiss, fall over dead, and many other actions without changing the hand shape. In French Sign Language this same concept is represented with a thumbs up. In ASL the sign for basement is a 'thumbs up' going under a flat palm (orientation down). So the 'person' is going under the 'floor'. The words: with, pass, backslide, race, Babtist, crash, sweetheart, challenge, and pride are all concepts in ASL that are expressed with the FSL classifier for 'person'. The small group I was part of at this workshop come up with over 40 of these 'French' signs in about five minutes off the top of our heads. This was an amazing concept for me. Many of the signs that I simply knew by rote have a visual meaning that I was completely missing. This information may or may not make me a better interpreter, but it did make this language more alive as I can look and see the influences that have shaped it into what it is today.

Beef Stroganoff

Today the boys and I were home "alone". They played outside with the dogs for about an hour. We watched an hour of T.V. We went to Arby's and ate lunch with Mom and the debate team. And then came dinner. I can cook, but sometimes I just don't 'feel' like it. Tonight was one of those nights. I opened the freezer and what did I see. Stoufer's Stroganoff staring at me. Now I haven't had this dish in ten years. Tonia doesn't like it, so it doesn't get cooked. It was the perfect day to spring a new dish on the boys. Eleven minutes and a few micro-waves later I dished up three bowls of stew and sat back to watch. My oldest boy Wain ate it without complaining. But I could tell this would not be a favorite. My youngest, Richard, took a few bites. He ate some noodles. He ate some beef. He said he didn't like it not in the least. Me being my father's son, I had a simple answer. Eat it. He did...... I took a bite. Wow. Ten years was too long between. It won't be an everyday thing, It may not even be an every month thing. Beef stroganoff is honestly not very healthy, but it will be a sometime food. Hope my miandering didn't bore you. There was a little bit left. I think I'll go warm up a bowl.

Working eight to three.

In this world I have rich friends and poor friends. I have friends on both sides that are alternately struggling or doing just fine. It kind of depends on their money skills. Now, my money skills are not the best. If I see something I think my wife will like, I tend to buy it first and figure out how to pay for it later. Most of the time this works out great, because we have good jobs. My job..... I work one hundred and eighty three days each year and get fifteen weeks of vacation. You should see the time share guys jaws drop when I tell them how many weeks I have off. I usually work an additional four weeks in the summer, so in reality I generally average eleven. I used to work about 60 hours each week and make double what I do now, but as my children have gotten older, I have discovered something. If I am home to eat dinner with them, read to them, pray with them, and tuck them into bed. Life is great. If I have to out of the house until ten because of something that makes money. Their normally great behavior disappears. A child phsycologist would probably say it was because their routine was messed with. I like to think it's because they miss me. Anyway, I may never be rich. I may never have millions. But, I have a wife and two children who love me. I wouldn't trade that for a trillion.

An interesting Day

As an Interpreter sometimes when I work with hard of hearing people I feel ignored. I try not to let it get to me. I know I still need to do my job to the best of my ability even if the client is reading the persons lips more than they are watching me. One day started out to be one of those days and then an interesting thing happened. The battery in the hearing aid lost its charge. On a positive note, I last longer than a battery. I was paid attention to and felt like I "earned my keep" as it were. If this seems a little self centered, I realize it probably is; however, this is a blog about feelings and not realities. It sure made for an interesting day.