I am Grateful for ASL

I have found my calling in life!!! granted I found it a few months ago but yesterday night was a confirmation that I have chosen the correct career path. I am currently majoring in deaf studies with an emphasis on interpretation, this degree is an aid to assist me in my attempt to become a nationally certified interpreter for sign language. In order for me to polish my skills and get some hands on experience I go to 'deaf events' or events that happen in the deaf community so I have the chance to sign with the deaf community. I go the first Wednesday of every month to Fudderuckers because a percent of the proceeds goes to the Deaf Charter school here in Vegas.

I went there last night for dinner and some signing time! I always walk away feeling so so happy! When I was there I saw across the room a table of 3 or 4 hearing people but I saw that they used sign, so I went up and introduced myself. Turns out they are ASL I students named William, Maria, Amanda and Eddy they go to the Cheyenne Campus and have a really good teacher who doesn't allow voices in her classroom. They all have the same teacher and were all 3 pretty good at understanding what I was signing and stuff so I was way impressed! Well about 10 or 15 minutes into my conversation a balloon popped right behind me. Anyone who knows me knows how jumpy I am so needless to say I jumped about 10 feet haha. All 4 of them looked astounded at me. Maria sign 'you're hearing?!'

I was so happy and so proud that for 10 or 15 minutes I could trick a few people into thinking I'm deaf!! Granted they were ASL I students so they were no experts, and I have about 5 or 6 more years of study before I can even think about sitting the exam to become nationally certified, and my grammatical structure is absolutely awful, and sometime I am completely completely lost in a signing conversation, and I still a tiny bit terrified to go up and start signing with a random deaf person, and I often freeze up when talking to an actual deaf person but MAN OH MAN I felt so good that all three of them had no idea I was hearing :)

Today, I am grateful for ASL and the fulfillment I find from Signing!!