Deaf Days!!

Yesterday morning I was working at the main visitor's center here when one of my coworkers asked for my help because the visitor she was assisting was deaf.  I signed to him "Do you sign" and he looked immediately relieved!  It turns out his car battery was dead and he needed the garage.  I called them, arranged for the maintenance crew to come meet us in the parking lot, and then worked as an interpreter for the man, his family, and the maintenance worker.  It was so cool!

Coming back in to the visitor's center I no sooner sat down when another coworker asked for my help again.  This surprised me.  Usually we get at most one deaf visitor a month, so to have two in one day... wow!  I was excited.  Again, I walked up and signed "Do you sign?"  They were so happy, and signed with me for a good fifteen minutes, about the park, hiking, the Skywalk, and so forth.  I was elated!!  I love signing and I was getting so much practice!

While sitting in the backroom eating my lunch I hear another colleague shout out "hey we need you again!"  I dashed up to the front desk to find another deaf couple.  By now I was in seventh heaven, being able to sign so much.  I quickly answered their questions, and returned to my lunch dumbfounded.  No more than 15 minutes later there was yet another cry for my help!  Wow!  Four groups in just 3 hours!

Sensing my services may be most helpful there at the desk I stayed the rest of the day and had two more groups, one of about seven people (all signing at once!).  It was amazing!!  I knew they weren't all traveling together as the first group was from Texas, the second from Rochester, NY, the third from California and I didn't know where the last group was from... Figuring something was going on locally I googled "deaf convention" and immediately saw there is an International Deaf Expo in Las Vegas from July 18-23!!  How exciting!!  So it seems that as they are headed to the convention, they are stopping by the Grand Canyon.

Today I was working near the same area and had another three groups.  This time there were two people from France and two from Belgium, and everyone was going to the conference.  Such a cool job!!  Did I mention I love to sign!!

I'm enjoying my deaf days lately.  Off to go practice my signing.