Interpreters only need to know two things:
- Sign Language; and,
- Everything Else.
It’s A New Year!
Hello family! First of all I want to thank everyone for their concern about my absence. The outpouring of love this year continues and I am overwhelmed by the many and specific acts of kindness and thoughtful notes I have received.
I am fine.
I am better than I have been in a long while.
I took a little break to work on the book but then this happened…
This beautiful gift is the daughter of my son who we lost to suicide in July.
She arrived and everything else kind of went away for a while.
As I have said in my Rules in various ways no job or task is important enough to require you to abandon your family and the love and support of friends.
Truth be told, the book is only slightly more complete than it was. But my heart has undergone a healing miracle. I have the peace that can only come from looking into the eyes of my granddaughter (not used to that one yet) and realize I need my heart to be whole so she can break it for herself each time she leaves my arms.
She is not my son. She is who she is and who she will be.
She is all attitude and smiles like he was as a baby, but she is also herself.
But I can feel him. Wanting to hold her so I do it for him. It’s been my job for a minute-it took me a minute to overcome my fear, it went away the moment she looked at me-I could make this a full time job.
I am back though. I have a whole crop of new Rules and Notes and Random Thoughts on what you Probably Should Know.
I am starting out with a hard one for me. It makes me a bit nervous because it’s self reflective in a way I am not used to.
But that is for tomorrow. Today I am Grandpa Uncle Dale. Gruncle (Yes I know that is Gravity Falls but I’m retasking it for my own purposes).
Today is for this:
See you tomorrow.
Gruncle Dale.
Random Thoughts From Uncle Dale: 2018 End of the Year Posts Day Three.
The next two posts got roughly the same number of views.
I mention this only because one is more educational and one is more personal and the fact that they were equally viewed speaks to the balance Interpreters need to find between feeding our minds and feeding our souls.
Enjoy!
Note From Uncle Dale: ASL to Spoken “Hearing.”
Note from Uncle Dale: This is a Rare Moment Where My Blogs Meet
Random Thoughts From Uncle Dale: 2018 End of the Year Posts Day Two.
Uncle Dale’s You Should Probably Know… Why You Know What You Know.
Random Thoughts From Uncle Dale: 2018 End of the Year Post
Between Christmas and New Years I like to repost the most “popular” posts from the year.
This year that is an odd prospect because, as many of you know, I had some traumatic life events that caused some of my posts to be shared by this wonderful, loving community many more times than others. These posts were shared as much for the emotion as the content.
That gives me pause to think about what I mean when I say “popular.”
That is usually just a calculation of the most views. But, as I said, this year I cannot rely on the most viewed being the most helpful.
So I came to a decision. In this post I will include a few of those more emotionally powerful posts that may have skewed the numbers as far as views and start with the most viewed posts that are more directed at the experience of the interpreter and skill development tomorrow.
Thank you. Thank you all for the love you’ve shown this year for both me and my family.
1. Real Talk With Aunt SuperTam
2. An Open Letter to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
3. This is Where You Are.
Love to you all!
UD
Rule 703
Nurse: “Ok, we just need you to sit in the room and make sure she keeps breathing….”
UD: Again, I’m sure they haven’t given me a complete list of the things they don’t want me to do as a contractor. But I’m pretty sure that would be on it.
(Pirate voice) Means no.
More wit and wisdom of Tyler Forsgren.
Rule 702
Your interpretation can only be as good as the factors you can control.
If the internet connection is spotty your VRI interpretation will be spotty.
If the lighting is bad your interpretation will leave everyone in the dark.
If there is noise and confusion your interpretation will consist of only what you can hear and be confusing.
Take control of what you can control early and professionally, and if anyone argues with you remember these words:
“That is preventing me from doing my job and NOTHING prevents me from doing my job.”
Rule 701
Keep your faith in humanity, even when this happens:
ER Nurse: So, did he go Deaf in the car accident and that’s why they called you here?
UD: Would you take a minute and just think about that?
The wit and wisdom of Tyler Forsgren.
