Sign Language and Eyes

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Sign language. Photo Credit: online pic.

The eyes’ critical function in sign language, make me wonder how I justify a throw-away mentality to life. Here today gone tomorrow. I did not have speech when I was young but I knew how to communicate with my parents, besides crying of course.  I knew when my mother was angry.  I also smiled when I saw all that love in her eyes.

Children don’t speak but they communicate, including blackmail (crying of course).  Unfortunately, we still think that a child’s first words are a great leap forward, not realizing that it is a state of regression. Why? Because in future, the child will rely more on its voice to interact with home and the world, than in eye contact.

The world in question is a speech world. That is why in 2023 we still refer to sign language users as ‘deaf and dumb’ who belong to a ‘sub-culture’.  We are so comfortable in our airless boxes we cannot acknowledge sign language even when it is staring us in the face.

Baseball fans who follow the World Series understand the signs between the ball catcher and the pitcher. The ball catcher does some gymnastics with his fingers and the pitcher gets the message. He then throws the appropriate pitch. Sign language purists might disagree, but it is sign language because there was no voice to relay the message.

Embracing sign language is a stamp of approval to nature. Trees and flowers come in different shapes and colours but they are all equal. I am bowled over by the beautiful fish I see in National Geographic deep sea documentaries. I don’t want to restrict myself to land. Sign language will improve my communication skills. Period.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

 

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