The Whole New Mind by Pink I read the sequential/simultaneous difference of the mind: the right hemisphere is the picture, and the left hemisphere is the thousand words. I learn by seeing, I guess that is why I learned sign language. (My husband says use a thousand words and that I love to talk, but that is for another blog J.) I can see the whole thought through the sign(s) or picture.
Most Sundays, a hearing church member comes after church to tell me they watch the sign language interpreter and listen to the pastor. They somehow see the illustration better through pictures than just listening to the blah, blah, blah of the sermon. Now, my pastor loves country music, and he has some illustrations that are specific for country music fans. As an interpreter, my job is to decipher his message/words, interpret and put the words onto my hands to paint a picture so the deaf can relate the Bible lesson and the country song; not an easy task to incorporate music, culture, linguists, emotion, and meaning on your hands and not have sermon notes. But with Pink, I have to remember “empathy builds self-awareness, bonds parent to child, allows us to work together, and provides the scaffolding for our mortality”.
I enjoy interpreting and it allows me to interact with the deaf community. I like the quote Oprah Winfrey said: “Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives”. Did you read that; not our lives, but their lives. Something to think about.
