When talking and thinking about Angela, I keep thinking about a specific moment. I didn't know how to put what it means to me into words until last night.
This is the moment I'm referring to.
I was born hearing. I ruptured one of my ear drums when I was 10 years old. After that, I could understand verbal in person speech if we faced each other and I didn't really have an issue with phone calls. Now (in my early 20s) that's not the case. Over the past 2 or 3 months, my hearing has basically gone. I can't understand in person or over the phone speech. I can't really hear myself.
As soon as it started happening, my mom made it a top priority to learn more sign language. We're not working on ASL [American Sign Language] grammar yet, but we're learning signs and facial expressions.
For the past couple months it's been a mission of mine to be completely nonverbal one day. As my mom and I learn more sign, she doesn't force me to verbally talk unless she really doesn't understand what I'm trying to say.
I didn't know how to talk about this because it is Spencer signing the word "no". And while I do absolutely acknowledge that, along with everything else Angela says and does, this is proof she knows at least one word in ASL (which is more proof she meant it when she said she loves learning). This shows me I'm also safe with her when I'm voice-off and signing. It is SO RELAXING to be able to talk to someone in a language that probably isn't either of your first and be understood. (Angela is also the only person I've seen Spencer sign with - this is also the first time I've ever seen Spencer sign at all - and that's huge to me.)
