Having a Deaf person who uses and speaks sign language get identify who am I and where grew up in this community. Deaf people are about of the minority population in the country and the world. When you make a circle, then you make two bowls, which are one small and one big. We are Deaf people and live in a small circle, and you guys are hearing people and live in a big circle. What affect, system, and create to our community would be created what to be and kind of you guys wanted to be when we aren't strong community.
Sign language is my identity and mother tongue that is given by Him to Deaf people. He gives a beautiful gift. A beautiful gift cannot be compared to other gifts that we received. Sign language helps me to grow up knowing, insight, everything I never knew, and the new world that I live in. Make new friends who know sign language, meet with people who know sign language, and full accessibility, that all the way make me feel comfortable and never feel alone anymore. I have to be grateful and a blessing. No words can describe how beautiful sign language and Deaf identity that I have. That makes my dreams keep alive and stay believe to my hope. You get to know that have a Deaf person who lives in a majority hearing community or studies in a mainstream school, it would feel unshamed and don't feel proud of where they grow up and who they are, except if hearing people know in-depth about the Deaf culture and sign language.
The environment in which has a role in Deaf children's growth. When born and raised up by parents who are hearing people, but they don't know, then they just follow what the system created to be and affects their Deaf children. That's something I wanted to say and had when I was a kid and a kid who was born to a hearing family and community. Went to a Deaf school, but it wasn't sign language taught and used oral-method. After graduating, I moved back to Solo and entered high school, is a hearing school. The high school is an inclusive school actually but I didn't feel what I expected. Damn, this is I grow up until the present. Hearing leads the whole of my life.
In June 2016, I was lucky to have my friend who is a Deaf person, and picked me up to Gerkatin (Deaf national organization in Indonesia) office. He introduced the boss, the staff, and other Deaf people I met. I wasn't able to speak in sign language at that time, but they were so really helped a lot and had an interesting conversation. We spent to learning together about Deaf history. That brought out me to learn back sign language and finished it in 6 months only. And, I'm now learning ASL (American Sign Language) in full online and hope to finish as soon as possible. That changes me to be more open in learning new languages and cultures that I never know.
I had an amazing experience is I met with Michael Steven, an American lawyer who understands Indonesian and Indonesian sign language. He came up to Indonesia and participated in tour events (maybe 6-7 cities he came up if I'm not mistaken) that related to his aspect, the laws field. He is from Washington, DC and works for DLAW (Deaf Legal Advocacy Worldwide) based in Washington, DC, United States. He inspired me to learn English and ASL. Because of him, I spent a lot of time watching ASL videos or Deaf Americans on Youtube, then I fell in love with America. And, I also met British Deaf tourists and learned IS (International Sign). It made me feel had something that I never felt. That was insane, but fun and interesting. To know about the world that never I knew when I was a kid and studied at elementary school. That's something I wanted to say to you guys honestly. What I had is actually to be honest.
Sign language benefits are you can talk with your friend in the sea (diving) or your mouth is fully food inside, and even you still can talk in the mirror or middle of the concert which very noise and couldn't hear well and clearly. Things that hearing people can't do and we can do. Hearing people have the weak of gesture and visual, we have strong gesture and visual. That are the different things that I wanted to you get to know.
In addition, I feel just following what my heart speaks and loves to be who should I be and what am I from. It destiny comes to me. I will be proud of it. I never regretfully be what kind of a hearing loss person. I will hate it if someone tells me that need to the hospital because my ears in which are considered sick or an illness. I'm healthy, okay. I can speak sign language so I'm not mute, you know. Everything I had created me what kind of should I be. And, now, I have everything I could use to.
Once, I am proud and fully beneficial to having a Deaf person who uses sign language and exactly wanted to promote my mother tongue that the glory be given by the Lord. What I wanted to point out is being a Deaf person wouldn't problem and it is never regretful. It's a part of our community that we had. I have my dream is to publish my book in English where I would love to write the whole of my life as being a Deaf person who lives in a third country that known unfriendly country to the Deaf community. I hope it comes true soon.
Thank you, everyone!
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