(no subject)

Lately, i confess, i've been doing some thinking about my future/career wise. I don't have the same fire for ASL that i did with Jeanette, or in the beginning of college. Yes, i love it...i love learning new things, but especially between the cats at Last Hope and working at Petsmart, i've been wondering if i've been going in the right direction.

Yesterday, i received a small reminder as to why i learn what i learn.

It was after my shift at the Petshotel, and i was at Last Hope doing my 12:00-2:00.

I was opening one of the outside cages to clean up whatever Zip the tabby had done. A woman stood nearby, watching.

I was leaning into the cage, commenting on Zip's personality, and the woman never responded. after closing the cage, i noticed the woman had a coclear implant.

"So cute!" she said finally, voice high and sounding forced, typical of a Deaf person. She wasn't profoundly deaf, and was obviously oral. Her family that was there, her husband and sister, were also both Deaf.

We talked about the cat, and the work done at Last Hope, both vocally and briefly with sign. The woman's sister came over, signing immediately to her sister. Asking questions about Zip, then about the two cats below, Gus and Mackenzie. At one point i tapped her shoulder.

'Male' i signed, pointing to Gus. 'Name, Gus.' i pointed to Mack. 'Mackenzie, female. Two of them brother and sister.'

The look the second sister gave me was priceless, clearly delighted.

'you deaf?' she signed, eyes widening.

I explained to her no, that i was learning in college. and she nodded vigorously, smiling. She thanked me after that, but i'm not sure why.

This is where i learned best...practice. The vocalizing stopped, and we just signed. I explained what Last Hope did, introduced each of the cats (Yay! Fingerspelling practice!)

When they had to leave, the second sister touched my shoulder and signed, 'I try ask other workers questions, but they not understand me. 'Wonderful meet you. Good luck.'

'You too,' i signed back.

'We will come back,' The original woman signed. 'Striped cat will be adopted fast,' she meant Zip.

'I hope,' i replied. 'Thank you for coming.'



'I try ask other workers questions, but they not understand me. Wonderful meet you. Good luck.'


Am i going in the right direction? At the age of nineteen, who knows? 

But at least, in the hectic life of college, work, and growing up, an idle passerby at Petsmart's Last Hope section was able to remind me.