My Family Room
As I sit in my family room I think about my Coda experience. Each object in the room shouts of my unique upbringing. As I sit in my reclining chair thinking about each object’s purpose, my thoughts are interrupted for a brief moment by my mother reminding me, “Your shoes are still on the kitchen floor. Could you please put them away?” I slowly get up out of my chair to retrieve my white tennis shoes and carry them upstairs. As I am climbing each stair I think about my mother’s request and how it was communicated without a sound. She simply moved her arms to tell me what she wanted; each movement symbolized each thought. When I finally return to my chair, I realize how everything in the room not only shows my Coda experience, but symbolizes me as an individual like each of my mother’s movements symbolized a different thought.
As I begin to organize my thoughts, the telephone rings, the lights blink and my dad jogs into the room because this is probably the telephone call he has been expecting. The fluctuation of the lights made him aware that the telephone was ringing. In my life my parents serve the same purpose to me as the blinking lights to do them, they make me aware. Through my parents I have become aware of deafness and deaf culture. My awareness comes through our daily interaction and our participation in activities in the deaf community such as Maryland School for the Deaf’s annual play. I also have become aware of other cultures through my unique upbringing. These experiences have made me very receptive to different types of people and more sensitive to other’s needs.
When I come out of my meditative thoughts, my eyes turn to my father clicking away at the TTY. He is probably talking to one of his friends about the poker game held by his deaf men’s group this Friday night. I do not know for sure to who he is talking because I am unable to hear a one-sided conversation like most other teenagers would. I have been exposed to so many more ways of communication. This unique communication occurs not only through the TTY, but through captioning and most importantly, American Sign Language. ASL has taught me good communication skills and good eye contact which has helped me on formal interviews and in daily situations. My body language and facial expressions help to communicate my point to both hearing and deaf audiences. American Sign Language also remains my primary language in some situations like church where I understand the meaning of prayer more clearly when I watch the interpreter than when I bow my head.
While I am still thinking my eyes drift down to the small sign language “I love you” charm I wear around my neck. The feeling, “I love you”, is expressed by the movement of two fingers toward the palm. I have not only learned how to express my feelings through sign language, I have learned the feelings of deaf people through it. I understand the frustrations of deaf people when they are misunderstood by others and I understand the feeling of excitement over deaf culture.
My awareness of deaf communication and culture has made me conscious of not only the deaf world, but the other worlds that exist around me as well. As I have become aware of these worlds I realize the pain and obstacles that is faced in all places. These realizations have helped me make my career choice, to be a social worker. I can use my knowledge and added sensitivity to help those who are different in a positive way. As I stretch out in my recliner, I smile to myself knowing that my Coda experience has had a great impact on my life and has helped me decide my future career.
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Katie Ellen McKenna is to attend Wake Forest University in North Carolina. She is an honors graduate of the Middletown High School in Maryland. She has won numerous awards and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was one of three people chosen to serve as a page in the Maryland General Assembly. During her high school years she was an active athlete earning a varsity letter and a member of numerous clubs and groups. Katie is an energetic and active participant in many volunteer activities donating her time and energy to helping others.
