7.2: Mindfulness Practice
Firstly, take a pause from reading and peek at RS 5 at the end of this lesson. Now answer the following what ifs:
- If I was talking about taking my tiny 4-week-old kitten, to the vet, and he was placed on a scale, and then I fingerspelled, what might the word be (refer to Technology, Science and Measure)?
- I mention a new business venture and tell you to check it out, then I fingerspell, w_b_it_. What is the word?
- An IT guru lists programs on his computer: Adobe, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Then he references these three and signs a word that you miss. What word might it possibly be?
- Your friend excitedly reports over the weekend they ran a marathon but didn’t complete it, then they signed 18 _il_s. Guesses?
- Because you’ve been studying (and hopefully memorizing) RS 3 and RS 4 we’ll use these as our next examples for using context to make closure—I sign to you that I’m going to Round Table, then in my hunger, my fingerspelling goes delirious. What did I probably fingerspell?
- You’re having a bad fingerspelling day. A kitchen remodel is being discussed with all kinds of fingerspelling that you missed. What are at least three likelihoods after making closure?
- Preparing an egg for breakfast is discussed but you miss the fingerspelled word, p__che_. what’s your guess?
- A closet cleanout is discussed with a bunch of things going to Goodwill, but you missed the fingerspelling. Possibilities?
- I talk about going to my friend’s farm and helping her paint her bar_.
- A friend complains about monthly b_ll_, especially the increase in r_nt!
These may seem easy, but here’s the reality—the above is typically how we see fluent fingerspelling, it’s very, very rare that you will see every single letter, unless of course you are a beginning fingerspelling student who is meticulously accenting each letter. The articulation of each letter brings us to the next lesson. Until we arrive at Lesson 8, take a deep breath, smile, and consider how you might incorporate closure into your fingerspelling methodology. My story at the start of this lesson, offers insight that can serve in many life lessons, and here are takeaways—
Mindful Tip 10: Adopt an attitude of focusing on what you catch versus what you miss.
Mindfulness allows us to be aware of what’s going on inside and around us so we can calm, soothe, breath and continue, knowing that we are not machines, we are human beings, and we are capable of paying attention and trusting our skills.
Mindful Tip 11: Practice composure so you can make closure.
I cannot stress enough how composure will save the day. Fingerspelling is a skill involving fine motor dexterity and a calm nervous system. Breathing in, I’m aware that I am fingerspelling; Breathing out, I smile, filling in gaps accurately and to the best of my ability.