I'M SOMEWHERE ELSE

I got baptized this morning which was, you know, swell (can't really talk about it), but one of the priests told my parents and me the best story and I could only really sputter in response because I guess you would have to know me to understand why I found it such a wonderful piece of information.

The priest's daughter (who is hearing) is a first-year in college and just changed her major and life plan. She wanted to teach D/deaf students, but then she took a class on Deaf culture with a Deaf professor and learned that a lot of Deaf people don't think that hearing teachers should teach at schools for the D/deaf. After she learned about this, she changed her mind about wanting to teach D/deaf students, and decided to major in sociology instead of special education.

It was so nice to hear about someone who is so young but is already so ready to take into account what other people feel and have to say. As a disabled person I wish everyone who wanted to contribute to the lives of disabled people was willing to listen to the disabled people they want to help. And as someone who wants to contribute to the lives of people who have disabilities different from mine, I really hope I can live up to the priest's daughter's example and listen to what other people want and need, and accept it when the contribution they want and need from me is for me to not be involved.