My Hands Can Sing

The most unpredictable nights can really be the best. When my Friday night plans had to be canceled, I thought that I was just going to stay in and watch The Godfather or something, but it was the last thing I felt like doing. Having had to miss my ASL class on Thursday because of the alumni event and still feeling sorry about it, I remembered an ASL conversation group I had read about that met up on Friday nights in Union Square, and figured it couldn't be worse than staying in.

I was absolutely right... I loved it!! It was a really nice and open group of people, both hearing and deaf, with varying degrees of ASL abilities. I was nervous at first and felt really frustrated and stifled at first, having a lot to say and not remembering how to say it, my hands not moving the way I wanted them to, but there was nothing to do but try. Everyone was patient and helpful, and of course when in doubt, you can always fingerspell. I became so completely engaged, and I remembered and learned more in those two hours than my whole semester in class so far. By the end of our time there, my hands were moving in and out of stories and opinions almost fluidly, and by the end I was even helping to translate for lower level speakers. I felt how freely my hands were moving at the end, especially in contrast from the start of the night, and it was so beautiful and such a rush and I forgot what it felt like to be able to communicate and express yourself with your hands, it's so freeing in such a new way.


(This is the sign for coffee, a frequently used sign in my life. Careful you only move your top hand or else it's "making out", or as the deaf community still call it: "necking" lolololol)

When I left, it was hard to keep my hands and face still. ASL is a completely visual language, and just like your body language and vocal intonation assists your speech, your facial expressions are critical in conversation and they are overemphasized and exaggerated, and it was kinda hard to stop that and keep my face neutral for the rest of the night. You are also always mouthing what you are saying, and after I left, everytime I started talking my hands were itching to sign along, and my brain was still formulating the signs in my head. Signing never got old to me, and I was sad to stop for the night. I didn't feel like going home afterward, and I ended up at good Ol' Faithful Triple Crown with some straggler IT employees from my old work, and I kept my drink in my hand so I didn't accidentally start signing and look like a pretentious biyatch.