Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America

Chapter 8. Our Deaf World

Chapter 8 Our Deaf World 203 Two deaf friends meet. They had attended residential schools where it was the practice to label all the children's clothes so that it would not get lost in the laundry. These two friends have not seen each other for awhile and although they know each other's name they pretend they don't. "Your name?" asks the first one. The second one lifts the collar of his shirt and glances backwards to the area where name labels used to be attached and responds: " Arrow, Yours?" The fi rst one goes through the same motions and responds, "Sears." o Two deaf men, one taUand thin and the otlier short and fat, round the hallway corner coming from their rooms on the third floor of the hotel and stop at the elevator area. They are attending a National Association of the Deaf convention and have not seen each other for several years. They are busily engaged in a conversation and pay rapt attention to each other. They stop at the first of a long row of elevators, one pushes the "down" button and they resume their lively conversation. The doors of the elevatoron the same side, but at the far end, open, stand open briefly, then dose and the elevator moves on to anoth.er floor. After awhile, the two men stop talking and look around at each shut elevator door. One signs to the other: "Long!" " Yes," the other agrees and signs, " Maybe this now: ' and the two move 204 down the haJJ towards the elevator on the far end that had just opened and shut. As they walk, the doors of an elevator behind them open, stand open briefly, then close. The two friends reach the fa r end , stand facing the elevator and resume their busy conversation . As they do so, the elevator doors direcUy behind them open and close. After a reasonable wait they again pause, look around them and examine the doors of all elevators. "Long!" repeats the short man. " Broke?" " Lousy h-o-t-e-I" signs and fi ngerspells the tall one. "1protest manager!" signs the short man, getting red in the face. "Yes!" vigorously agrees the tall man, and both head for the stairs. By the time they reach the lobby area they are again busily engaged in another conversation and have forgotten all about the incident with the elevators on the third floor and the reason for their hike down the stairs. o A barber called the local priest who worked with deaf people and asked his assistance in locating a deaf manicurist. Puzzled. the priest wanted to know why the barber specifically wanted a deaf one. " Because," said the barber, "the girl I have working for me now talks too much!" Thdign, J951 A deaf woman, Rae Johnson, took her poodle to the veterinarian's office. While waiting in the lobby, her dog became very nervOus and started walking around. Johnson signed to her dog to sit down. A man in the lobby saw her signing to the dog and told her that his friend's dog was deaf. Johnson asked how they talked to their dog and the man responded : "There's no problem. The dog lipreads." o While working for the Molt Program in Flint, Michigan, Tom Mayes had a smaU office in a large building. Each day many members of the staff passed his officeas they went about their business . Theywould glance in while passing and see Mayes sitting there and probably think to themselves: "That poor deaf guy! He never hears anything . He never overhears incidental office gossip. He doesn't know what is happening here." Out of sympathy they began to stop in Mayes' office, one by one, and share with him the latest news, After awhile the situation reversed itself and word began to get around that Mayes was the best informed person in the build.ing. His coUeagues then began 10 stop by and ask him what was new . o Four deaf travelers, weary of a long day's travel, pulled overand registered at an old lodging house. On their de- parture to the town for a snack they asked the owner if there were any movie houses or other entertainment where they might spend the evening, carefully writing their request on a pad SO that there would be no misunderstanding . "Why sure!" she said, "Be...