James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (04/17/91)
Index Number: 14996
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Let's go back to the motel story for a minute. The man left
to get a newspaper, right? His wife registered and went to the motel
room. If we try to analyze that story just briefly, we have to ask
why the man had to go get a newspaper. It was late at night. Why did
he need a newspaper? (Response: He couldn't listen to the radio.)
That's right. He was on vacation traveling and he didn't know what
was going on in the world. The life experiences of a deaf person are
different from a hearing person's. That influences the stories. The
man had to get a newspaper even though it was late. That's an example
that shows deaf culture. His experiences and actions are different.
The man felt it was important to get the newspaper. M aybe he was the
last person to know what's going on in the world. You know deaf
people are typically the last to know what's happening. That's an
example of how the story shows the culture of deaf people. Another
thing is that the hearing world ha s systems which are based on sound.
For example, knowing that someone is knocking on a door depends on
hearing and a doorbell requires hearing. Are deaf people stuck in
these situations? No. the story shows how deaf people can overcome
those kind s of obstacles or find ways around those obstacles. That's
how deaf people remember those stories. Yes, they are funny stories
but the messages behind the stories say a lot. The stories inspire
deaf people so that when they are faced with obstacle s or difficult
situations, they will think of the stories and find a way to beat the
system. How do they beat the system? By taking advantage of people's
ability to hear. The man in the motel story honked his horn and took
advantage of the hearing people's ability to hear to help himself.
There is irony in the story. The point of the story is how deaf
people survive and maintain their happiness like a regular person in
that world. That story shows how deaf people survive. (Response:
Resi dential schools and Gallaudet have their own traditional oral
stories such as the one about Dr. Peet and good morning.) Dr. Peet
and good morning? I don't know that story. Remember, I didn't go to
Gallaudet. I missed the stories that are specific to Gallaudet. Is
the story a short one? Would you mind sharing it with us? Jim will
tell us a story specific to Gallaudet.
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