Little dude was not two signs into introducing himself before his mom asked him to slow down because we were NOT getting any of it lmao.
He was great! As soon as he realized we were extremely new at this, he slowed down and was very careful to sign carefully, making each sign very crisply, facing us head-on, etc. A patient little man.
They're really putting into perspective just how much moving to the US trained me out of... emoting. With my face. And body.
Which is a problem because ASL has a big non-hand component. Not only tone, but meaning itself is conveyed through facial expressions and body language.
And I used to be more emotive and comfortable using my face and body to communicate but that's considered off-putting here. Like childish, or uncomfortably earnest? Idk, people just didn't react well, so I gradually forced myself to stop, to be more "contained". And now it's hard for me to access that part of me.
Which, to be clear, is a crucial element of communication in ASL, so I kind of need it.
