Today had some excitement and sadness I suppose. I have been researching this Laurent Clerc at a reunion in 1867 in none other than Brattleboro, Vermont.
Brattleboro had been my "town" in my life since childhood to when I immigrated to Montreal. We had a farm up the road and Brattleboro was the city to us, despite being only 14,000 people at best. Then I worked there for 20 years and raised my daughters there before going to Quebec. And it contains by bike shop. It is a special place.
So I was pleasantly surprise to learn that Laurent walked the streets of Brattleboro at one point. This would actually bring me the closest I have ever been to him, per se. Except for some DNA inside me, I suppose. This made me happy.
But, when Job Turner, Deaf missionary and former student of Laurent's recounted Laurent's tearfulness about the change sign language that he had brought from France. Naturally going through evolution, ASL was making him happy. But that is the privilege of old men. (see bog post)
Thinking of Laurent walking the streets of Brattleboro, Vermont, my home town. Posting about the sadness of Laurent (see blog) and his struggles in the evolving and changing ASL.
And as part of this research I posted my "info pitch" on the Facebook page of the Austine School Museum in Brattleboro. That is a post that contains this website link, our Facebook page and a nice hello. I wanted again to see if there was any increased traffic here on the website. I was pleased that the administrator approved my request and I hope to repeat it across the nation. Interesting enough my post was later taken down? Perhaps a violation of the page rules?
But, while my post was briefly up a certain person who works for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing organizations in Vermont saw it. I sense another window about to open up.
-Laurent-
Comments