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.

When Air Disappears

It isn't often that I think about breathing.

The precursors are irrelevant, as it becomes evident that the feet are no longer on the ground, assuming a position that is undoubtedly foreign. As the disorientation and panic envelop limited cognizance, the moment becomes an eternity. Gravity whips strangling belts around the body, jerking it from the pause in space back down to the earth. Time exists again, but the seconds are agonizing as the air has been ejected from your lungs. Pain becomes strangely transient when one has the awareness that breathing has ceased. The air has disappeared. You're convinced the air has disappeared. I'm certain the air has disappeared.

And there is that instance. The instance that composure, the same as the body, suffocates. It is to the frenzied appeal of surrender that the mind whirls about to face. Seemingly unbearable, this vacuum of torture. Surrender, is the plea, but it is without conviction. The disarray's deceit derided the diaphragm, but defeat isn't definite. The muscle is resurrected, and as air is inhaled, the feeling of suffocating once again becomes foreign. I was momentarily aware of breathing, notably due to its unpleasant absence. No need to think about breathing once again.

But a couple deep breaths help me appreciate the fact that the air never really disappeared. I just couldn't get to it.

As I prepare to begin my summer vacation, I am still catching my breath. Whether through carelessness, or veiled truculence, or maybe even through subscribing to obstinacy, my feet have found themselves in the orientation far too often. And I hit the ground, panic, slowly catch my breath, and once again resume NOT thinking about breathing. But, it seems, that I don't have enough time to catch my breath before a thunderous clap steals the air.

Mohammed is every bit as stubborn as I am. And it is the last week of summer school. I have planned accordingly, knowing that it is better to just designate relaxation and fun activities. The week begins, and it becomes immediately evident that he simply no longer cares. His communication skills evaporate in the heat of apathy. Self-help skills are trampled by the allure of learned helplessness. Cooperation becomes a most vile, abhorrent concept.

I taught him how to light a match, and start the gas stove, and it is his responsibility to prepare his own breakfast. He takes some bread from the freezer, lights the stove, and begins warming up the bread. Then, in the manner and mindset of a mischievous miscreant, he decides that today he is just going to let the bread burn. I watch him in disbelief, noting that he takes the bread off the stove to see if it is burning, which he followed with tossing it back on the stove. Finally, I just ask him, "What are you doing?", which startles him a bit as he realizes that I was watching. Knowing that he's caught, he simply remarks that the bread is now bad and should go in the trash. Nope. As I elaborate about his misbehavior, he tunes out until I tell him to go ahead and eat the bread that he cooked. Burnt portions and all. After he's done, we run into similar problems and I end up sending him to a timeout.

Again. And again. First, it's standing in isolation. Then, push-ups. Then standing while holding a chair. Then, a slap on the back of the hand, and a verbal warning about how angry I am with him for being so lazy and uncooperative. More time-out. He tells me he's done with school, he just wants to be punished and then go home. I oblige him, not holding back my displeasure but simultaneously being perplexed as to what I can actually do.

I don't know what to do. For that last week, everyday was filled with thunderous claps that stole my breath. And as I panic. As I turn to plead for surrender to just bestow apathy upon me, I instead lose awareness of my lack of breath. I clench my teeth, and my suffocating urgency is reflected in my teaching. I look at Mohammed, and he is hating being at school. Hating working with me. And my bitterness wants reprisal: If you want to be as stubborn as me, this will be a horrible week. And it was. So terrible, in fact, that upon the release, all that I could catch was stagnant air.

Jonah knew a little bit about stagnant air. Hanging out inside a fish for 3 days (I bet you aren't familiar with fish breath). Chilling under the shade of a vine, fantasizing about fire and brimstone raining down upon Nineveh, only to watch the vine wither as the sun was bearing down upon him and the dry air choked his lungs. His bitterness wanted reprisal, every bit as much as mine does, but for Jonah suffocating might have seemed a decent alternative to breathing.

And here I am, and although I did not hesitate to embark on my journey, I certainly have embodied Jonah's bitterness. I want God to bring down an army of enforcers. At the very least, a grandma of drill-sergeant caliber who would whip Mohammed into shape. But I am more ambitious than Jonah, and I want to even take holy retribution into my hands. And this is why I can't breathe.

God taps me on the shoulder. The vine is withering, and the air is stagnant. I am catching my breath. Jesus is the model to follow, not the misguided and suffocated path of Jonah. Jesus implores that I follow him first, but Jesus didn't teach the deafblind. He copped out and healed the blind and the deaf. I'm pretty good, but not that good. So what am I supposed to do?

Jesus changes the dynamic. It isn't a matter of what, but how. He came to inform, and to correct, but to love and to forgive first. That is the model of how. Through his grace, his forgiveness, I have a new breath. I can finally catch my breath. It is only through foolishness that I turn from that, to continually fall and take in the stagnant air of bitterness. Lord, help me turn to your grace and forgiveness, so that when I fall, you can breathe life into me. So that when air disappears, you can breathe life into me.

With that renewed life, I am certain I'll be a better teacher, and now I have summer vacation to prepare for that. Summer vacation is an opportunity to think about breathing. I want to think about breathing more often. Peace.

Egregious Monstrosity

Egregious. There is a sort of unbelievable essence and simultaneously negative connotation associated with the word. A tacit association that makes its appearance leave a generally unpleasant aftertaste after it rolls through the language processing of the brain. The brain does, after all, receive and interpret the sense of taste, and I sometimes confuse reading a word with tasting a word. Coincidentally, some particularly sweet words are vivacious and moose (or mousse, whose actual taste I am more familiar with).

Egregious. Through information imparted upon me, I have become aware that this word, instead of meaning uncommonly bad, can also be defined as remarkably good. Perhaps the usage has faded out of the modern lexicon. And, in the beginning of this post, I am not yet sure how I will ascribe the descriptor. So come with me on a Bob Ross expedition, and we will paint the definition as we go.

My second school year has come to a close, and I want to take a moment to go back to the start. I can hardly remember what Mohammed was like at the very beginning of the delightful insanity that I call a job. In scanning my old blog posts, I am suddenly awakened. Buried deep in the recesses of my mind, though, memories begin crawling to the foreground. Their wretched claws digging deep, with a resurrected vitality. I am there again.

Mohammed was casual, and just as I didn't expect much from him, he didn't expect much from me. I labeled him "brilliant". He labeled me "teacher". Everyday was predictable, and we held hands as I guided him through each activity (very few of which he could actually accomplish on his own). Go to school and stack blocks for 30 minutes. Come back, sit and have a snack, relax for 30 minutes. Bathroom break. Mohammed going through the motions as I clean shelves for him. Go to lunch. Another hour break. Prepare a schedule, in which Mohammed pretended to read braille. You are bored reading about it. I was enthralled, back then, by the novelty. Spending 45 minutes just working on moving his fingers to sign the number two. I had some sense of vision that told me this was a great place to be, despite the fact that I couldn't really wade through the fog of a fervidly fueled ignorance of what it would mean to really delve into deafblind education.

I was also surprised to go back and read some perspectives I had then. I couldn't see myself staying in Jordan to continue working. I seemed convinced I would end up back in the states. Me, in my element, being analytical and detaching all factors beyond the influences of a moment, then transitioning into the spiritual aspects and future implications. I was placid and preoccupied, but with earnest proclivities based on bearings I considered to be founded on maturity (the reality, though, is that I desperately needed to learn how to fail, how to be angry, how to be focused, to develop maturity that would be a staunch, grizzly voice unfailing in constancy).

I stayed in Jordan. The reason was to pursue a better understanding of the Christian ethic of service. I still have a lot of work to do, that respect. The bonus, though, was the inception of the "egregious monstrosity". This has been a two-headed leviathan, whose lurking I have come to fondly embrace much in the same way that I enjoy a free hour to clean the gym and shoot some hoops.

The first head of the beast is Mohammed. He is now an unstoppable force, and his advancement has left me befuddled and inadequate in most every sense. And here is why: I have given him permission to undergo metamorphosis. No more hand-holding, no more sitting around. His growth becomes a daily struggle, not for me, but for him to engage. So, with several weeks left of school, when Mohammed decided to just quit working, I gave him the freedom to do so. The old, silent, passive Mohammed of yesteryear evaporated. A conniving, cutthroat, and cunning adversary had replaced him. Even a simple task, such as preparing his food book, became something he refused to do. Taking independence to a whole new echelon, infused with stubbornness, he chose every braille card except the one word for the food we were having that evening (then pretended to not know that the final word was on the page....before finally succumbing to defeat when realizing I had his number). It is extraordinary to see him transform from a kid that could not answer questions, could not understand or sign "2", would not use a walking cane, would not sign anything unless in prompted by a specific sequence of signs that were familiar.

Now, he asks me how I'm doing, he tells me he wants to listen to music, or pack his clothes to start summer vacation, or even lie and pretend that he no longer recognizes the braille words that he's been preparing in his food book for months. Such delightful treachery. Now, when I tell I'm quitting work and going home for vacation, and that he can stay at school and work, he clutches my arm and remind me that this will not happen. It won't happen because Mohammed is going home for vacation. Mohammed doesn't want to work anymore. Brent has to stay at the school to work on his computer. Such statements are now a regularity. Before, the extent of his expression were phrases such as, "music", or "eating finished", or "no misbehavior", and all were preceded by significant prompting.

In addition to the monster I have created, the one I have built a cocoon for, there has been one emerging from the depths of my soul. The passion for my job has become inseparable from the other aspects of my life. I take my work home with me. When I have a bad work day, it carries over into my personal life. Why? My personal life is also at the school, for the most part. This egregious monstrosity has an insatiable desire for perfection. It has an eclectic allure. It has a penchant for critical degradation of even the most fervent efforts.

And this monster is adorable. I hold it close to my core. In some ways, it has been defeatist to remain so open to being broken down at the center of my being. But, it has also been faithful and endearingly honest. Honesty about when I need to be better. Honesty about failures. Honesty about lack of maturity and perspective. The antithesis to cookie monster. Rather than consuming delectable treats, it dispenses treats that are rather hard to swallow. Sharing is caring...as a large, purple, pre-Cretaceous reptile used to say.

This colossus has, at times, left me emaciated. It has driven me, more than once, to just retreat into solitude and lay prostrate in prayer. It has pushed me to the edge of weariness. It has inflicted lasting impressions that are now a part of me. And it has, always been valuable. As long I continue to let this egregious monstrosity be a companion, I must also continue in the development of maturity. And there are moments when I am undoubtedly short-sighted, but as a part of this two-year process, the results have been remarkably good. And that is the egregious that I like best. Peace.

Expression

It is getting hot. It is a dry, unimposing, strangling heat. The conditions are perfect for backpack strap sweat lines. Perfect for swimming (if one had access to a pool). Perfect for foreigners who have become accustomed to not taking showers more than 3 times a weeks (because from here on out, I will reek of the involuntary perspiration that is continually issued throughout the day).

Mohammed feels the effects. He has made it clear that he will no longer be wearing sneakers. Sandals are his footwear of choice because it is "very hot". Not wanting him to forget how to tie shoes, I turn to my most effective teaching method: Entrapment. Without mentioning my intentions, I casually ask Mohammed if he would like to help me. Hesitantly, he consents. I explain that there seems to be a problem with my shoe (the next part he doesn't actually receive, because he pulls his hands away at the mention of shoe...) and I would like him to fix it. He quickly signs, "Shoes finished." I remind him that he already agreed to help me, but to no avail. We argue back and forth, and I am trying to make him aware that his honor is at stake. After all, an accord was struck.

Nope. He doesn't care. No big deal. To really goad him, I tell him I am angry that he is refusing to help me now, and he can go get his own shoes and tie them. "Nononono," says Mohammed. "Come on, you said you'd help. Don't be lazy," says Brent. "No. Tying shoes finished. You do it. You're lazy," says Mohammed.

WHAT. Go back and re-read that. He insulted me. For the first time. EVER. I was quite happy. It is likely the best insult I will ever receive. If there has been a primary goal for the year, it has been development of expressive communication. Not just waiting for prompts and responding, but to actually be conscious of his own thoughts and spitting them out. And he did. I wish I could say I rewarded him for it, but I just carried on the conversation, as a conversation should go. We dueled, and he eventually helped me out. His successful tying of my shoes was followed by much laud, as celebratory dancing was initiated. We were happy.

I am in the boardinghouse many evenings. I inform Mohammed of my fatigue, and my desire to crash for a quick nap. I scurry up his ladder to his prepared bed and flop down, with Mohammed hot on my heels, clinging to whatever garments that come within his grasp. As I pretend to sleep, he is lifting my head off his pillow, then signing furiously, at such unprecedented speed that I imagine the Earth's rotation was inverted and time began to creep backwards. The gist of it: Brent is not tired, thanks to God. Sleeping is done. This is Mohammed's bed.

Another victory for expressive communication.

It is Thursday, and I re-arrange his braille schedule. He identifies this, and matter-of-factly tells me, "This is wrong." Good, my young apprentice. Expressive communication: "Ah, yes. A Jedi's weapon, much like your father's. By now you must know that your father can never be turned from the Dark Side. So will it be with you." --Emperor Palpatine

Palpatine said it well, but you have to add in words like "communicator", "effectiveness", "teacher", and "Expressive Side" to make it relevant. If you switch it all out, though, the quote becomes convoluted, and taints the Star Wars legacy. So, you can work out the metaphor as you see fit.


It had been a particularly draining day, and after coaxing one of the other students from the deafblind unit to navigate to the dining hall on his own, I was late to eat. I was exhausted. I certainly hadn't had enough sleep. I sit down to eat, and am minding my own business. Then Mohammed, with seemingly no reason, walks over to the table I am at. Casually, he asks, "How are you?"  It was so unexpected that my initial response was only laughter, with a hint of pride. I couldn't say anything other than, "I am happy." Still laughing, and neglecting to continue signing, Mohammed takes initiative to finish the conversation. "How is Mohammed? Mohammed is good. Thanks be to God."


Mohammed still thinks he has it all figured out most of the time, but I am luring him to the Dark side. As the Emperor said, " Oh no, my young Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken, about a great many things. " It's me and him, working it all out, and the expression is powerful. The two of us, master and apprentice, just like the Sith. But more peaceful....peace.

Position to Critique

Only once have I driven a stick shift. I don't consider the lack of experience to be a character flaw. I simply haven't encountered situations in which such skills were needing cultivation. So, I would consider myself to be somewhat less than an expert on shifting technique. Lack of technique does not put one in a good position to critique.

So, when I was graced with a taxi driver of utter incompetence as I was finishing an Easter vacation in Egypt, I broke the basic tenants of criticism. Although I wasn't vocal, I felt I had a decent grasp on this driver's apparent disregard for gears, based on the periodic "drrrrreeeeeeggggggkhhhhhh" as he let off the clutch and THEN attempted to shift up. As his embarrassment took residence in his crimson face, I assured him that it wasn't a problem. I wanted to be kind, and not point out his deplorable performance, hoping some encouragement would bring him to a higher echelon of driving skills. We continued on, occasionally lurching forward intermittently, thus disrupting my attempts to sleep. The day before, I had pulled an all-nighter while hiking up Mt. Sinai to watch the sunrise and visit a monastery. Needless to say, I wanted sleep.

Gears locking in, and the car pouncing forward like a decrepit cheetah making one last attempt at catching some unattainable prey. I was in no mood for metaphors, but my tired brain wanted to make the best of the situation. And soon I found I was blessed to be kept awake, as I became navigator on this already overly exciting expedition. At the first opportunity to turn, we had two options, and a clearly marked sign. One route led north to Nuweiba. The other: South to Sharm el Sheikh (my destination). As my driver, with the confidence of wicker chair, crept slowly towards the north route. Initially dumbfounded, I came to the conclusion that he is illiterate. Suddenly, this was the most interesting taxi ride ever (it was before...but he raised the bar). I doubted that informing him of this would be productive.

We kept going, and the driver, having sunk to the depths of self-pity, made a bold decision to cut his losses and stay in 4th gear to cruise at a full 30km/h below the speed limit. I was happy, because I knew that the highway was a straight shot for at least 40 km, so I wouldn't need to monitor him (I assumed he could tell the difference between the road and the adjacent desert). Close to Sharm, I once more directed him, as he didn't recognize the left arrow with a big airplane next to it as a symbol for the airport. It all culminated with him driving the on the wrong side of the highway to pull a u-turn, which was perhaps the most confident maneuver he performed. I smiled.

I wasn't in a position to critique, but I felt quite qualified to do so. My job is the same way. Recently, I have been feeling pressure from some people to change the program of my student, which I have been utterly resistant to. As the requests became more frequent and direct, I had to explain that Mohammed has a schedule built based on assessments and priorities, not based on platitudes and fantastical whims. I was entirely frustrated with the situation, especially since the art of reasoning was being discarded for phrases beginning with "I think it would be nice" or "this is what I hope" that contained no measure of professional perspective. Not conducive to discourse.

The worst moment came when I was told that my dedication to Mohammed's education was "selfish". I was so appalled that I just laughed. It was later clarified that I am "selfish" in the sense that I prefer Mohammed to only work with me and that he doesn't get to be with others. I defensively cackled. Selfish. Selfish?

I do try to be humble, but the self-righteous road was calling my name. Outraged, and feeling inconsolably withered down, I went back to work but was pacing. Pacing. Heart racing. Flushed with emotion. . Repeating the word. Selfish. I admit, I am with Mohammed most of my day. Even past work hours, we are together, often until he goes to bed. Regardless of the connotation, selfish was not appropriate. To me, it felt like a vicious low blow, absent-minded thrown without regard for the impact. His waking hours are not mine, they are OURS. We share them, and we learn together. I wouldn't trade that for anything, but that isn't selfishness. That is love and dedication for a student that deserves a lot more than I know how to give. Admittedly, he changes the standards I hold myself to, but he has also changed the way I see my life. I am continually trying to let my work reflect the gratitude I feel towards him.


I still bare my teeth some days, but the issue was resolved. It was paramount, especially to show that I will passionately fight for my student. And to show that I have knowledge, and experience, and commitment. And I don't take those things for granted. I use them to do as good of a job as I can. Mohammed comes first. Selfish...I guess I'll laugh that one off until humor swallows the sting.

In another unrelated occurrence, I had an amazing moment that illustrates what human potential is when someone has the chance to truly be connected to another individual. Kawther is deafblind, and she suffers from some neuromuscular disorder (I am unaware of the etiology). Perhaps resembling a subtype of spastic cerebral palsy, she lacks directed motion. Unable to walk, and seemingly unable to coordinate movements of several muscles simultaneously, that she will ever be able to even use gestures as a form of communication is a long shot.

Occasionally, though, I will approach her just to say hi, allowing her to become aware of my presence, and taking my hand as I identify myself with my beard and short hair. She has now become familiar enough with me that she will try to stand and walk into my open arms as I kneel directly in front of her. It is a wonderful expression of trust and affection.

And then, in the extraordinary manner which I have become accustomed to as being the essence of individuals who are deafblind, Kawther began to talk to me. She talked about my lukewarm and welcoming hands, commenting in the way that she grasped them. I replied by squeezing and pulling her in closer. She expressed her desire to dance. I felt honored to be her partner. As her weak legs tried to spin around, with her arms fumbling for support from me, I encouraged her by providing assistance. If she fell, and picked her up and embraced her. My way of saying, "That was a wonderful effort." A kiss on the cheek conveys, "You are amazing." And then, she replies, taking my arms and actually manipulating my movements. She pulls my arms around her and smiles. I pull my arms away, but she tugs them back, and as I powerfully hug her, she smiles again. It becomes a game that lasts for 20 minutes, simply taking turns, allowing her to express herself and know that I am responding. That we are communicating. At the end, though, she takes the opportunity to clarify that I am among the doubters. Oh ye of little faith. As I hold my arms out of her reach, she brings both of her arms across her chest. She is signing that she wants a hug. I hug her and the most vibrant, winsome smile shows up. She has, perhaps for the first time in her life, used symbolic communication to express herself, and she is loving it. She does it again and again, showing utmost pleasure in this discovery with each hug that I give. And I am just sitting there in awe, arms wrapped around her and almost in tears, because I am more proud of her in this moment than perhaps I have ever felt in regards to anything I've accomplished.

It is as if I rediscovered love in that moment. We were each taken down to simplicity, to the core of our beings, and we were bringing our complete selves to the conversation. To that moment. To that relationship. An exchange of what is essential, and a recognition of God's presence in another. A dance in which we were both enriched to see the other without any ulterior motives. Rejoicing in who another person is, in an objective matter, in which my ego had no place. I wasn't thrilled with Kawther because her success was also my triumph. I was ecstatic because her success was something to celebrate with her. It was the best dance I have had in my life.

I often fail at attaining such love in most of my daily interactions. More so, I think I fail to do so in my faith. To know that I can I don't have to put up a shield, and can bring my broken self to just be loved. To know that even in the brokenness, I am complete in God's love, falling into supportive arms. To know that when I say, "God, I need your embrace", that there will be an answer. Not because of who I am, or because of merit, but simply BECAUSE I am. And that is the nature of love. Peace.

Cataplexy

It was a day like any other. My normal days vary a significant degree from your normal days. When's the last time you had a conversation with a someone who is deafblind? Don't feel bad. I am not accusing you of anything. You could ask me when was the last time I had a conversation with someone who ISN'T deafblind.....I don't actually have a whole lot of those.

Manifestations of anger and legitimate frustration are rarely as much of a surprise as I wish they were. These are not my own. They are Haazim's. Still lacking constructive ways of communicating, and relying on tantrums as the most horrifically efficient way of conveying desire, he knows how to bring about an adrenaline rush that leaves me shaking in a pathetic stupor of consuming incompetence. When a child is willing to abandon all sense of self-preservation as a means to an end, it makes it hard to know how to intervene in a positive manner.

I can usually sense an incident's proximity.

So, on that day like any other, I was helpless. Outside of the school campus, walking the streets of Salt, I became tragically aware of his mental preparation to battle. The reverberations of such defiance were being silently issued by his listlessness. Already too far from the school to come up with proactive distractions, I was sensitive to his cues. Accommodating his curiosity, rather than subscribing to ignorance, I take preemptive steps to prevent the kind of misunderstandings that incite his volcanic rage. For each cue, I am willing to stop walking to give Haazim an outlet to talk in his own manner. It might be a tug on my arm, as he tries to establish an imaginative hierarchy of power which crowns him king of schedules, lord of field trips and perhaps I am the jester. It might just be to allow him to smell the air, dank and homely, a mix of sickly cats and rubbish and recently sprouted plants that still cling to hope that more rain will indeed come. It might be feeling the littered pavement, which still has a lingering chill that makes it seem as if winter is obnoxiously unaware of its obligation to succumb to the changing of seasons. He seems accepting of my offerings of goodwill, and all is well.

With the school in sight, my misgivings spring up and I sense inevitable defeat. With a ninety degree turn, Haazim declares an end to the goodwill treaty I had offered up. He senses something, which I cannot discern. Whether it was the distinct feel of the crumbly, craggy, concrete steps, or the aroma of dusty chickens in a nearby shop, it didn't really matter. He wanted something. There was no discussion. I was dismissed, and no amount of signing registered any meaning. I once again responded to his communication, but eventually we didn't obtain that which he was looking for. And just as quickly as he realizes that I don't know how to help him, he screams and throws himself down the cruelly apathetic concrete steps.

With several people around to witness this spectacle, I am frantically embarrassed. I furiously sign to Haazim that we are finished, and we are going back to school. He pulls away and claws at nothingness, resigned now to inflict damage rather than explore in calm cooperation. As I take his hand again, he tries to bite me. I would have yelled, but in the confusion, my heart seemed to have relocated to my esophagus, making any sort of vocalization impossible.

I step back. Other voices suddenly cut through the 10 second calamity that has enthralled my brain for what seems like days. It is a butcher. In his most sternly reproaching tone, he is screaming "Shame. Shame. Shame on you boy." The Arabic words sweetly slash my ego, and then I realize he is supporting me and scolding Haazim. I appreciate his candor, and kindly inform him that Haazim neither sees nor hears. His contempt falls on deaf ears. He nods in understanding, then promptly yells at Haazim, "Go back to Brother Andrew (the institute's director). Back to school." I smile, somewhere in the recesses of my mind, but my face bears no expression other than simple fatigue. I pick Haazim up and we return to the school. No one wins the battle. We both lose.

When it comes to choosing between a tantrum and cataplexy, I'd take cataplexy. Cataplexy doesn't carry the undertones of disdain that the tantrum inflicts on my tender soul. Working with deafblind children has given me a stronger resolve, and a tougher exterior. But it hurts when I am often overtly strict, or expressly severe in punishment. The toll of often sailing the waters of "last resort" leaves me feeling hijacked by pirates. Some pirates have good intentions and jolly dispositions, I suppose. I do prefer, though, a calm lake that is crowned by a wearily descending sun. The kind of calm waters that only come with having actual knowledge and training that dictates action, rather than the intuitive responses that have been characteristic of my work.

I give Mohammed a chocolate. I want to be better, for him. He starts to peel back foil, but hands the chocolate back to me. An implied, "You do it. You're better at this than me." A devilish impulse incites a twitch in the corner of my mouth, producing a vile snarl of pure evil. I let him feel as I delicately remove the wrapping, and promptly put the chocolate in my mouth. In dismay, he feels my empty hands. He couldn't believe his fingertips (eyes). I give him a second chocolate, and we begin a dress rehearsal of my self-produced play called, "Learned Helplessness." The second chocolate has unparalleled deliciousness. I savor it. Mohammed can hardly stand my reprehensible treachery. He calls for another chocolate. Not even acknowledging me, his determination is victorious. As he eats it, I wonder what vengeful thoughts are stewing as he considers the fact that he could have eaten three chocolates instead of just one. I like to think that this kind of exercise makes him appreciate independence in a tangible way, but it probably jut makes him appreciate the times when I am not around to assist in the consumption of his chocolates.

Recent forays into prayer- Mohammed has been taught that prayer is about spewing predetermined lists of blessings as they have been dictated to him by a peer. I have countered this by making prayer into a conversation. We have had many gems come out of this interaction. One day, with a seemingly genuine concern, Mohammed requested a blessing for Satan. I laughed. In one of his first self-constructed prayers, at the end of an exhausting day, Mohammed prayed this: Thank you God, bless me, that is all. I laughed again. And then, in one of his most brilliant moments (regardless of his understanding of what he said), I asked Mohammed, "Why do we pray?", which left him utterly stumped. I had him ask me, and I replied, "I pray to talk with God." I asked him once more, expecting him to copy me, but instead he replied, "Because I love God." I told him that he had given an exceptional answer. I wasn't sure if I was even grasping how exceptional that answer is.

The tantrums. The communication battles. The prayers. The daily surprises that are more challenging than I am capable of handling, yet somehow handle. But I'm not cataplectic. I wouldn't take cataplexy. Cataplexy wouldn't get me through a normal day. My normal days vary a significant degree from your normal days. It's a good thing. Peace.