Enjoining by Joining (Frabjous Day)

When working 6 days a week has become routine, my Friday holiday has become somewhat of a treasure. It is a day to take on many things. I can sit around and read news. I can sleep in. I get to workout for whatever amount of time that sleeping in has allowed. I can peruse the facebook, send out emails, and write blogs. I can even watch an episode of The OC to start my day (which has recently induced extreme stress, due to the fact that Seth and Summer are apart but clearly should be together).

Fridays are for rest. Recuperation. A day to renew myself in the hopes of longevity. In the interest of the students that I work with. Which leads to seclusion and reflection, while I treasure "my precious" Friday. (For clarification, I use this phrasing because I am occasionally referred to by the name Gollum. I find this name to be both endearing and fittingly descriptive, though somewhat baffling because the volunteers that issued it had previously been identifying people through Harry Potter references. Dobby would have sufficed.) It is not alarming isolation, some vociferous introspection that clutches at my throat. I quite appreciate retreating into solitude and unwinding for a day.

So, as I sit on the playground, enjoying the sounds of Salt and the chaos of children who are temporarily relieved of academic duty, I am certain that this will be a celebratory frabjous day devoid of social interaction.

Not so, said the deaf children, clinging to my shirt. "You are fantastic, wise, the purveyor of joy. Come with us, come with us, our personal toy. For today there's a trip to the almond tree's shade. Come with us, come with us, our day will be made!" (Their requests were not this poetic, but don't let that curtail your interest.)

All hope was then abandoned as the older students cajoled, "You miser, strange hermit of despicable sort. Don't go home, stay with us (was their cunning retort). If you simply walk with us, we can promise you fun. Take a hand, share your life, for your solitude's done." Again, paraphrasing...

So, I went out on this journey. The parade of foreigners and deaf children, a peculiar bunch, just out for a stroll. And we had a ball. Kids jumping around, climbing all over my body, which apparently resembles a tree when sunlight peaks over the fall clouds in Salt. Teaching a young girl the virtues of silence and proper behavior after enduring 10 minutes of her obstinate screaming as she clamored for her right to snack time (as I took in the beauty of nature and the cityscape while simultaneously tuning out her pummeling fists as she vied for attention). And, lastly, marching back into the city with a 4 year-old boy on my shoulders, as he delighted in both the vantage point and the privilege of turning a young American into his noble steed. I had thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon.

By joining the children, I had a chance to enjoin them into participating in my relaxation and fun. Not just "let the little children come", but recognizing that they can't come if you're not there. And this is where my year can change.

Mohammed has had priorities dictated to him for his whole life. His choice-making has been minimal, and the recognition of him as remarkable has been slowly misconstrued by his inability to do many things. More often than not, due primarily to misunderstandings or lack of familiarity, the "negatives" of Mohammed have commandeered his vessel of respect.

And, I have fallen prey to this as well. I think not only as a teacher, but more significantly, as a Christian. To identify a singular moral discrepancy and inflate it, allowing it to suffocate the individual as a whole. Admittedly, it is nice to have the freedom to attribute negatives to others, as it gives less time to worry about one's own faults and transgressions. Then again, it is unfailingly insufficient in terms of realizing how remarkable other people are. I don't think Jesus had much trouble with this, as a person's sins and shortcomings never seemed to even register. Mostly, he just welcomed them without reservation or classification. And while I do try to do this, I admit that there have been many instances in which have done the opposite.

With Mohammed though, I am letting him reclaim his positive image. I value him as an individual, and always will, which leads to me being interested in what he likes and who he is. And, for at least this one, last year together, I will have an opportunity to join him in his life. And as I join, I get to enjoin him into a better quality of life, as we learn together. Even after two years, I continue to be blessed with such an opportunity. Oh frabjous day, indeed. Peace.

Getting Realigned

After spending 3 weeks at the Helen Keller National Center in New York, observing and making connections in the field of deafblindness, I have returned to Jordan.

While at the HKNC, I had a lot of opportunities that showed just how intense my work in Jordan has been. Many clients at HKNC are not congenitally deafblind, having lost sight or hearing later in life. Many also still have usable vision or enough hearing for spoken language. Vocational opportunities are available through many organizations that have partnered with HKNC for many years. There are residential staff to support, many of them having background in the field. Activities for each night are organized by the residential staff, and volunteers help out so that there is always a support person for each individual who is deafblind (should it be needed). Students arrive and often talk about their priorities, helping to mold a program that is most beneficial at the individual level. There are people who studied various fields, and bring their respective expertise and master's degrees to enhance educational opportunities. There are case managers, vocational trainers, habitation specialists, speech pathologists, communications teachers, living skills teachers, technology instructors, creative arts teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, vision and audiology specialists, and interpreters. There are teams.

Had I not committed to being in Jordan, I would have loved to stay at HKNC. It was organized and easier, fun and relaxed, light and wonderful. I might even pursue a job there in the future. Those are far off possibilities.

But I am Jordan. And I have a lot to appreciate about what I have built here, but also a lot of ways to realign myself, my expectations, and my approach. In deafblind education here, I am the team. Which isn't to say that I don't have support. That would be a lie. BUT, when I am here, there are simply no individuals that have credentials in ANY of the aforementioned areas. I have taken it upon myself to become knowledgeable in those areas, and take them all into account for my role as teacher and case manager. This field is too new in Jordan, so when I want to increase life skills, I can't just write down recommendations and hand it off to someone. Occasionally, I might write it down, then bring my chair to the other side of my desk and read it as if seeing it for the first time. It's an internal memo. (It should be noted, though, that when I say "my desk", I am actually imagining what it might be like to actually have a personal office or at the least a desk, which I do not have. I need to advocate for myself on that, I think.)

It was certainly nice, though, to have professionals be impressed that I taught my student how to differentiate braille characters, fingerspelling, hundreds of Arabic words, how to count and understand numbers, use a cane, and tell time...over the course of a year. It was nice to hear suggestions, and then respond with, "Yes, we already do that, and I had to make the resources to make it happen."

I still need time to take what I saw at HKNC, and allow that to realign my passion. Because, the most important thing I learned was not simply in providing information and services to individuals, but to do so in balance and consideration that the individual needs time, and needs to enjoy life.

I sincerely hope that I can integrate that into a new school year. I will be praying that I can find the wisdom to do so, the balance to carry it out without burning out, and the perseverance to follow through. I will also be praying for the same things for those far away: former SALTERs, current MCC workers, friends, students, and family. Peace.