Project Fair!

Welcome to my blog! Hopefully you enjoyed the 20-Time Project Fair hosted by Ms. Hechlik! And, if you didn't go, you really missed out. 

Like you (probably) learned if you attended the fair, my original goal was to have a minute and a half long conversation in American Sign Language (ASL) with another ASL speaker. After some time experimenting with the language, I decided that my goal probably wasn't very achievable and that I might want to amend it. So, my new goal is this: learn common words and phrases in ASL, as well as learning about the history of ASL, and a little about deaf culture. 

Along with my pursuit of knowledge into the deaf world, I am also watching videos that are motivational, about ASL, or deaf culture, or even both! 

Below are three videos that I've recently watched that just happen to be both motivational and about deaf culture! After each video, I'll provide my thoughts and opinions about what was said:

1)

I find this video to be very cool, because along with Pamela, I am also trying to learn ASL. Though her journey is further along than mine, it really drove me to keep signing away and continue along with my pursuit of new knowledge. 

2)

This video is very moving. It's very brave of her to actually speak her presentation rather than signing it and having an interpreter. Her humor and bravery inspire me to continue my journey learning sign.

3)

What really struck me about this was that the first deaf person he knew was Moses. That just goes to show how separated deaf people are from the hearing world. 

After watching these videos I've realized that deaf people aren't really that different from the rest of the world, and we need to stop looking at them as disabled, and this of them as abled people in society that can do anything we can, except hear!

Now, I have a task for you:

1. Watch all of these videos.
2. Answer this question in my comments: Do you think of deaf people as disabled? If so, why?
3. Comment how you think you can change your outlook on the deaf community.

Motivation?

Well, India was absolutely incredible, but in the midst of my traveling, and crazy life, I've kinda neglected my 20-Time project... I've just been so crazy busy and stressed that while trying to juggle everything else, I've dropped the ball...

I think part of it is that I have lost some motivation to learn sign language. Don't get me wrong, I still really want to learn how to sign, I just have been so stressed with all my other commitments that I haven't spent as much time as I should on the project. I totally love the idea of the 20-Time project, but feel like it's adding some more stress to my already hectic schedule because it's just one more thing I need to worry about. 

So, being the problem solver that I am, I'm not just going to focus on the problem, but also a solution. In order to fix my lack of motivation, I'm going to amend my goal a little bit. Instead of putting a time limit on my conversation, I just would like to learn some common words and phrases. Those words and phrases will help me to hopefully have a conversation with someone in the future, but if I don't right away, I'm okay with that. After talking with Ms. Hechlik and bouncing ideas off each other, I've come to the conclusion that my goal isn't just learning how to sign, but rather, learning about the deaf community, the struggles they face, and how they have overcome these struggles. All that I've learned so far, from the videos I've watched, the book I'm reading, and meeting with my mentor, have helped me to understand some of the struggles, and hopefully, I'll learn some more.

Also, I'm going to try to watch a motivational video every week; whether it be a TED Talk, or some other random video that will help me focus on my goals. Hopefully these videos will also help me feel less stressed and like I'm some crazy person who's always running around doing tasks that don't really matter. 

Along with the videos, I'm going to try to spend one extra night a week trying to learn some more sign language. One of my commitments, that took up a lot of my time, just ended, so I have a night a week where I don't have anything scheduled. During this time I hope to spend time either watching videos to motivate me, or working on my sign language skills. 

Here's the first video I watched: 

This video is about the anonymous extraordinaries in life who work hard for their goals, without seeking recognition for the tasks they completed. It's a great reminder to continue doing the small things in life that make you happy, or even better, that make others happy.

Here's to hoping my motivation comes back!

Piper

P.S. 

If you have any tips about how to stay motivated, feel free to drop a comment and let me know! :)