The Beckham Family Learns Sign Language

The deaf world, stood up and took notice recently when fashion icon and humanitarian, Victoria Beckham said in an interview that she and her family were learning sign language to communicate with a deaf friend.

I do not usually speak in detail of my personal relationships. However, I feel compelled to elaborate about how I met this amazing woman.

Unless you are deaf you may never understand what I am about to say. There is a certain amount of stress, anxiety if you will when “we” step foot into the “hearing” world. Will I know what is being said? What do I do with myself when everyone else is “talking”? Will I be left out? Many cases the answer is without a doubt YES!

Not the case when I first met Victoria Beckham.

Before meeting Victoria, I was convinced that we would just smile at one another, when introduced, nothing more. Considering she speaks with an English accent, I was already certain that I would not be able to read her lips.

More times than you can imagine, hearing people do not look me in the eyes, they don’t know what to do. I understand.

Not the case with Victoria. (because of our mutual friends, she was already aware I was deaf). She looked me straight in the eyes, said the most welcoming “hello, how are you?” Because she cared enough to look directly at me and speak directly to me, I read her lips perfectly! She immediately introduced me to her son Brooklyn, and I will never forget the courtesy for me with which she spoke. She told her son, with out judgment or pity, that I was deaf and that he needed to look at me when he spoke to me so that I could read his lips. She told him that I speak with “sign language”. Brooklyn immediately asked, “how do you say hello?” I showed him and he quickly signed right back to me, like he had learned a cool new secret language, which in fact he had! Victoria immediately said to the group we were with, about 10, “alright then, this is how you say hello in sign language.” Showing everyone, they followed. Her mere consideration, interest and respect for another human being started something. The entire night I fielded everyone’s questions and shared my “very cool secret language”.

This was an amazing moment for me. Rather than feeling like the odd man out, I felt included and better yet really PROUD.

Upon my meeting the rest of their family, Victoria and Brooklyn eagerly shared that I speak with sign language, showing David, Romeo, and Cruz what they had learned. We were all soon sharing sign back and forth. I was blown away at how interested the children were to learn sign, but even more so with the amount of respect and dignity that this amazing family extended toward me.

We soon became true friends and continue to share our “very cool secret language”.

I can only imagine what a better place our world would be if everyone greeted each other, no matter how unfamiliar, with the same respect and consideration that the Beckham’s greeted me.
Productive Silence,
Founder- Martin Ritchie
source: DenDen & Productive Silence