My Perfect World

You know what would this world a much nicer place for me? Sure peace would be wonderful. No more poverty would be fantastic. The whole money system disappearing [think Star Trek - money does not exist!]. All forms of 'ism [racism, sexism, audism, etc] disappearing as nobody practises it anymore... All that would make a beautiful world. But it still wouldn't be perfect.

What would complete it, is if everybody signed. If everybody in Canada/USA signed in ASL. If everybody in France signed in LSF. If everybody in the UK signed in BSL. I don't mean that speech should be removed, no... but it would be so.. mindblowing amazing if everybody understood and could sign in their country's sign language. Deaf people could do so much more in this world if everybody understood sign language. We could become actors and actresses just as easily as hearing people. We could become tv reporters. We could be policemen. We could be doctors. We could be vets. We could do literally anything in this world [not to say we cannot, it is simply harder for us to do so as the majority cannot understand us in our language, and do not want to learn to understand in most situations].

It's nice to think that we can do anything except hear [that statement is silly anyway because most deaf people still can hear a bit, it's rare when i meet a deaf person who cannot hear one single thing no matter how loud it is] ... but due to how much speech rules Earth... It is a struggle for Deaf people to aspire to be something like a doctor. Or a policeman. Or a teacher [other than teaching the Deaf or teaching ASL].. and so on. We try and some of us DO make it and it's a very proud moment... and I hope every one of us will keep trying even though many people will tell us it cannot be done.

In my perfect world, everybody would sign... but i know at this point, that is an impossible dream. Will it ever become reality? Definitely not in my lifetime.. or the next generation, or the one after that. Maybe in the Star Trek generation [lol] people will sign.

One thing that really upsets me, is that fad where parents teach their hearing baby how to sign 'milk' and so on, and then as soon as they start speaking, they drop the sign language. WHY?!?! Why do you do that? I am literally begging you, please, KEEP TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN HOW TO SIGN! Who cares if you don't have a d/Deaf person in your life.. your child may someday. By teaching your child and promoting ASL, you are making this world just a wee bit easier for us. Imagine, if every parent did not drop sign language as soon as their child hits one year old, and kept signing instead. This new generation of children would be able to speak AND sign. That would be one step closer to my dream coming true. You may call me delusional. Idealistic. Hopelessly hopeful... but can you blame me? Can you imagine the sadness and frustration i experience every time i see a baby learn how to say milk and then forget it in a year. Why? Oh no point.. No d/Deaf person in the family or circle of friends, or I just wanted to see if the baby could sign before he/she could speak and well he/she is speaking now so what's the point? ARGH!

So if you have a child, or plan on raising a child in the future... I beg you, teach them how to sign, AND KEEP AT IT. Even if you do not plan on having a child, go take an ASL course yourselves, learn it. Sign. Keep it up... and do not forget what you learned! Please.





Unite - Unity