Kokonut Pundit just asked, "Where were you on 9/11?" I remember the moment well. It was right before our son was to be implanted with his cochlear implant. He was one year old and I was sitting in a dining room chair with him sleeping on my chest in a little blue sweater (him not me)..and watching an itty bitty TV. The news went on and on but I wanted to get to our deaf baby early intervention class. So off I went.
Most of the moms in the class were hearing. (95% of deaf babies are born to hearing parents.) But there were several Deaf parents in the class. When I got there the Deaf adults were not aware of what happened. The teacher signed to them the morning's news and the discussion in ASL lasted for quite some time. I learned quite a bit about how ASL works that day..the grammar and syntax. I already knew the story. But it was a defining moment for me and one I haven't thought about recently. I have re-written these next sentences several times already because I don't want it to sound like 'judgement.' These parents were wonderful and I enjoyed their company but between the missing of the news and the unfolding of the conversation I knew I wanted something different for my son. I know the internet has expanded greatly since then and phone options have allowed for some amazing technology for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired..it really wasn't about just that. It was just a defining moment.
So where were you? And did it define you in any way?
2 comments:
Our oldest son was just a three month old playing on the floor at the time. I actually have video footage of him blissfully playing with the news in the background as this was unfolding :(
Sand Point, Alaska, an island in the Shumagins. The radio alarm clock went off after the towers had fallen, and the radio turns on to the news. We were laying in bed listening and began debating if this was a War of the Worlds type hoax. Then we called his parents and found the truth.
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