I had an interesting experience in the Land of the Spiral Bridge at the downtown antique car show last Saturday. I was selling aerial photos of Hastings when I deaf couple stopped to look at the pictures.
By their silent mouth movements, hand gestures, and a couple of smiles--I could tell they liked my pictures of Hastings. The guy held up 4 fingers in one hand, and 1 finger in the other hand and pointed to the Hudson Manufacturing Company. He somehow spoke a softly--"years." I realized he had worked at the Hudson Building for 41 years.
Immediately, I grabbed a piece of paper and with a marker wrote down the message: "I have a better picture of Hudson at home." He nodded up and down understanding me.
I wrote, "Where do you live?" He wrote, "Hastings."
His wife was at his side as I talked and she communicated with him in sign language.
He liked the overview of Hastings picture and bought it.
I wrote down on the piece of paper, "I will bring a better picture of Hudson over to you--What is your address?"
He lived only a 1/2 mile away and then he wrote down his phone number.
I thought O.K. but then I silently thought, "How do deaf people hear the phone?"
The following day on a beautiful Sunday afternoon I dialed the phone number. An operator answered. She was the relay person. I would talk and she would through the T.V. video and interpret my message. I don't know if it was through sign language or text that she sent over the T.V. but his answer coming back through the relay person was to come over now and ring the door buzzer for a long time.
I rang the buzzer for a long time and sure enough the apartment door buzzed and it was unlocked.
He loved the picture and bought the picture of Hudson Manufacturing on the Mississippi River in Hastings, MN. We exchanged smiles and "thumbs up" signs to each other. He pointed to the wall where the picture would hang! You learn something everyday and that was a good day! The deaf couple were happy! Their smiles showed me so!
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