Deaf in a Restaurant

Date Night!  My husband and I score a babysitter, boom out the door and into the car. Floor it to freedom.  A much needed couple of kid-free hours awaits.  Into the restaurant, yes we’d like to sit on the patio, such a nice night out. Ushered to our table next to a family of …  KIDS!!  We chuckle that they knew just where to put the deaf people.  No matter, it’s true we won’t be bothered by any noise.  Ha. Ha.  Chit chat, chit chat, chit chat. Ha.

Chit.

CHAT..

THIS KID IS STARING AT US SIGNING.

Not a little glance.  Full on, facing us, staring.  Non-stop.  Like we’re an iPad.

He didn’t stop when I looked at him and smiled.  He didn’t even stop when I took this picture.

So, I had to post it.  It was too funny not to.

Sometimes I forget that signing in public places can attract a lot of attention.  This kid is kind of symbolic for what some hearing people have never seen: real live deaf people.

Sometimes they want to share something with us like…

they know someone who is deaf

they are learning to sign

or they are curious..

why are we deaf

how can we talk

can we lipread (hopefully while they don’t have mouths full of food)

can we drive (hey we got here)

and if we have the kids with us..

are they deaf (no)

did we teach them to sign (well yes)

how did they learn to talk (TV?)

they talk so well (lots of TV?)

It’s just funny.  All that’s on our minds most of the time is really the usual kind of stuff like what we’re eating for dinner (and that we’re actually eating, did I mention we had a babysitter?!), so nice to relax, is someone smoking a cigar out here, how can they charge $18 for tacos, are you getting salmon, oh there’s that yogurt place we should go to after this..

And this kid reminds me we’re kinda unique!