Sometimes as I travel around Uijeongbu and Seoul, Korea, I have the opportunity to see amazing events. Some of these events occur from everyday habits of the people that I am observe.
The other day, I had just such an experience. As I rode the subway, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Not wanting to be in someone’s business, but trying to stay alert to my new surroundings, I subtly looked over toward the motion. I notice a lady staring intently into her smart phone.
As she looked at the phone, she began to smile and laugh and nod her head in agreement with whoever was on the other side of the video. Then, she began to make motions and gestures. I soon realized that the lady was hearing impaired and communicating through video by sign language.
It was amazing to see. What, to me, is a novelty and a toy—something to take a video of something fun or maybe show my wife what I am looking at—was to this lady, a doorway to freedom. This video app enabled her; not just to see the person she was talking to, but the very medium in which to talk.
It was one of those miracles that happen in our world. It was a blessing to me to see and something I don’t want to take lightly.
In that moment, I was thankful to be able to experience her use of technology in a way most of us never have to.
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Photo from Unsplash.com