Personal Narrative: My Deaf Culture

Hands. You use them for so much more than you realize. To make, music, art, words on a page, climbing, cleaning, and crawling. You can decorate them with rings, bracelets, or even paint. Not only can they do all of these amazing things, they can also be used to communicate. I’m in a culture full of talking hands. Deaf culture is beautiful, unique, and sometimes even strange but I love everything about it.
Looking at me when you speak, respecting me as a person. Do not laugh at me when I say a word wrong, do not giggle after my repeated asking for repetition. And never make fun of my talking hands. I say the word “what” a lot so just be patient. I am capable of doing so many amazing things in my life. I have the same education, opportunities, and chances for success as my peers. I am not broken, I have a super power. I am observant, careful, and can form words with a mere wiggle of my fingers. We look out for each other. Full of jokes and laughs, the DHH community must stand together to stop the joking, teasing, and awkward stares. We are the society that needs changing. People today are so consumed with themselves it feels like we have forgotten what it feels like to lift others up. And that is a quality we all should learn.

American Sign Language, what a silly phrase for people who treat the DHH community like we are not American at all.

“Land of the free, Home of the brave.” Although it is the home of the brave, it is also the home of the weak. People who are weak and afraid of anything different coming their way. Be uniform, be the same. But this is something that we cannot change. In the famous words of Lady Gaga, “I was born this way.” It is a part of us. It is in our hearts. With about a million deaf people in the United States you are bound to come across someone that is involved in Deaf culture. So respect them. Respect everyone, including yourself. We are all beautifully unique in our own special way and that is

lovely.
I am not that different, but I am not exactly the same. I function “normally” so people don’t always get to see the DHH side of me. Deaf and Hard of Hearing, we are one and the same. I was blessed with this ability to reach out to people that the average person can’t. I use my experiences and hands to reach a group of strong empowered people, who together feel the ability to accomplish anything the world may throw at them. A teacher once told me to stand strong and still in who you are, and I try every day to love and accept my differences as well as other people’s differences. I will always love my talking hands, maybe one day you can learn to love yours.