There is just no pleasing some folks.

My husband and I were in the local Walmart today. He pointed out the fact that a lady and a little girl were following us. I turned to face them and the child signed to her mom, "That is the lady in the book!! Nellie book! Walking Free book! Learn about in class,..my school!! I know her face!! I study book in school!! Fat! Fat! yes,..fat,..but is lady..same,..same! S'true!! Yes! Yes! S'true!"

Answering the child, I signed back in a teasing manner to her,.."My face same as book lady? Maybe too old,..me!! Me fat,..wobble walk!!!!"

The mom stood quietly by. I signed to her as I had not seen her speak, and my husband did not seem to be responding to her vocally,.."Your child,..deaf. You same, same?"

I smiled at her and tried to sign small so as to be polite. With each sign, the mother visibly...cringed and then turned away from me towards my husband and said something to him!! My husband sort of flinched. Then,..she grabbed her cart with one hand and her daughter with the other and turned and practically ran away from me!!

The little girl sadly gave me a "bye-bye" wave. My husband was very quiet as I walked back to him. He had his rigid.."how-the-hell-do-I-get-involved-in-situations-like-this" expression on his face.

When we got home home he told me what he thought the woman had said, which was..."How the hell am I supposed to deal with those "damned" people?? It's bad enough that my daughter is going to grow up to be like that!!"

Damned people?

And this woman "seemed" to be able to understand sign language!! Her daughter was signing to her a mile a minute!! And yet,..and yet,..she thought that I couldn't speak because I was signing and that made me.."one of those damned people,"..that her daughter was going to grow into!

I have to go prepare my French and English lit lessons for tomorrow for the school labeled.."special ed" kid. That will keep me from thinking about the fact that I am still.."one of those damned people!"