Today, I signed up for a car wash at work (my work has a car washing service come every month for us) and I went outside to get the car washer's attention, so I yelled, "hi sir!", and waited for him to acknowledge me with a response, but to my surprise and horror he just stood there staring at me like I had a massive white zit on my nose, causing such a distraction that it caused a lapse in what I thought was going to be a simple exchange. As I become flush with embarrasment, he points to his ears and mouths the word, "deaf!"
Oooooh!! Okay, so I don't have a bulbous goiter on my face, but somehow I feel even more like a creep and I just want to get out of there because I don't know how to communicate with a deaf person! But I have to try to tell him where my car is if I want a carwash. I start to pity him a little and trick myself into thinking what a great person I can be if only I use a little patience and understanding. So, I rattle my keys up in the air (how cliche!) and point to my car and slowly mouth, "white". He tries to ask if I'm on the sign-up sheet, but all I can do is stand there dumbfounded. He then brings me the sign-up sheet so I can point to my name and then I stupidly give him a thumbs up. A THUMBS UP?! He is not a child! GOD, I am such a dolt! Then he tries asking me something...I have no idea what he is saying because I thought he knew all he needed to know! Something about my lunch break? So I just offer a few animated nods and smile a very loud smile...because, let's face it, I have to make up for not speaking, right?! He is probably so sick of reactions like mine. I would have been so much cooler if I would have busted out some sign language! BAM!
Hahahaha. One of my college roommates had a sign language minor so she could be a "little kids interpreter" as she called it. Unfortunately, all I really ever picked up was the sign for penis and turtle. Know what's awkward? A house party full of deaf boys and one hearing person who knows sign language.
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