I will forever be grateful to my friend Jody.
During my senior year of college I took a six week American Sign Language class for fun. I have always loved languages and I really enjoyed the class. A few weeks after the class ended Jody invited me to see a production of "Blithe Spirit" she was stage managing that was performed in ASL. Watching that show was mesmerizing. I was hooked on learning more about the language and culture.
Fast forward a couple years and Jody and I had both completed our first tour as actors. I had joined a second tour and Jody had moved to New York City. One day we were talking and she mentioned her work as a sign language interpreter. "WHAT??? *mind blown* That's a job?!?!?! I had no idea I could use ASL for work. That conversation put me on a path of a new career. It's a career that has provided me with a whole new community, new friends, flexibility to work while pursuing other interests, and the ability to work all over the country.
This morning Aaron and I were at the kitchen table together. I was reading an article about the top inventions of 2020. One invention was a robot that was designed to support a child's social skills. We talked about why kids would need something like that. We discussed what autism means, how that impacts someone's ability to socialize, and how an invention like this could help.
After the conversation I wondered if Aaron would remember this moment years from now. I think about those interviews with people who accomplish great things who say things like "I remember when I walked by a homeless man with a dog and that let me to start a non-profit to create a homeless shelter that accepts pets" or "I had a neighbor who was blind and that inspired me to become a teacher at a school for blind children."
I don't imagine Aaron will work with robots. Aaron is not into math, science and technology. Today will probably not be one of those life changing moments for my kid. However, I wonder if, 20 years from now, we will be able look back at a moment, an experience, a person, or something else in my kids' lives that put them on a specific trajectory.
One more story: when I was four years old I went to go see "The Nutcracker." Five minutes into the show I was hooked. At that moment I knew I wanted to perform. It's a feeling that has stayed with me for 40ish years. I wonder if my mom had taken me to a science museum that day instead of a ballet, maybe I would have invented that robot in the magazine. We'll never know for sure, but it's fun to consider the possibilities.
