Getting There…

9.3.6

Living with the deaf

My car is fixed.  The fuel pump was the problem— and it wasn’t like the old days when one could be changed in 15 minutes.  At the same time, there could hardly have been a more convenient place for a break-down: the weather was great, I wasn’t stuck in traffic or the boonies, and I had some family nearby.  Feels like fate guided me here.  As youngsters, Jan and I were always close.  We’ve stayed in contact, but I haven’t seen here since she moved back to the old farmstead a few years ago to help her Uncle Keith through his last days.

Living for a few days as a minority hearing person in the deaf world has been interesting.  It is a very quiet household.  At the same time, I don’t need to worry about making noise.  The experience has also given me short story ideas: one about a hearing kid who thinks his deaf parents and their friends aren’t cool enough; the other about an interpreter that makes a mistake and messes up the lives of the deaf relatives he was trying to assist.  Perhaps they could be done in the form of children’s stories.  My cousin, Jan is a very good illustrator.

'Click' to activate GoogleMap

Indian River

The diagnosis for the car problem was correct.  I departed Central Lake and stopped for the night at Pickerel Lake (near Petoskey) to visit a childhood friend, Frank Helle for a night.  The next morning, my car wouldn’t start again!!  Could hardly believe it.  After some quick tests, I determined the problem was a computer module in the distributor—  one I had just replaced brand new only 4 days before!  Luckily, I had saved the old one and put it back in and…  zoom-zoom-zoom.

St. Ignace Moose line (Stock Photo)

St. Ignace Moose

By the time I got done fooling around with that, much of the day was gone and I only made St. Ignace. It was getting dark when I stopped at the St. Ignace Moose Lodge.  Parked around by the campground thinking I might get some sleep in my car.  Right away a vigilante wanted to know who I was, what I was doing, and if I had a Moose card.  Showed the man my card and told him I was tired.  He pointed to a nice little old trailer on the end.  “That’s a spare.” He told me. “You ‘n your dog can sleep in there if you like.  Make your selves comfortable and then come on in an’ I’ll buy ya a beer.”  And so he did…

'Click' link to Chris & Horse

Deerton, MI

Presently I am in Deerton, a little town between Marquette and Munising.  I have friends here, Chris and Horse that I haven’t seen for 24 years, though we have exchanged Xmas cards now and then.  Instead of staying for a night, they convinced me to stay for some Labor Day festivities.  It has been a very nice reunion.  The last time I visited, my friends lived in little run-down hovels; now in the same location they have new houses on the river and a large guest house!  I plan to stop back here on the way south as well.