Reminisce the language in quotes

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

I was watching the television programme – “Following Twain with Oscar Kightley” this morning. One of the quotes from Twain encouraged me to continue improving my writing/typing blogs and stories as listed above. It gives me more confidence and expands more comprehensive vocabularies and strength in grammar, lexicons, and new words. In the past, my mother, sister, and friends helped me improve and adapted the grammars when I was studied for my BA and many formals letters, even to the government’s MPs as proofreaders. Today I am using technology as a proofreader while I am typing to ensure my grammar, lexicons and spelling check, vocabulary and thesaurus etc. I know everyone does not have the same head grammars when reading or understanding other people writing/typing. 

 “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”

Why? In the late 1960s and 1980s, I attended Hamilton Deaf units from Hamilton West School to Melville High School. We, D/deaf children, spent time learning English writing without sign language as it was forbidden to used sign language in the New Zealand Ministry of Education policy. Yes, the sign language was banned from the 1880s because of the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Milan, Italy. Nevertheless, in 2010, at the 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf, they received a formal apology in accepting the dangerous ramifications of such ban as an act of discrimination and violation of human and constitutional rights. I know many D/deaf people struggle to learn to improve their reading and writing English today because their first language is sign language and are no longer at school or study at University. The same story with the Bible reading/Theology where D/deaf Christian people want to learn about God, faiths, prayers and other stories by Jesus. When reading, they go through mundane trying to explain by giving the wrong message or answer, typing by doing their best for other people and even understanding what is mean. 

 “Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts or happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever flowing through one’s head.”

Let go back to Twain topic. Who is Mark Twain? Why I love to read Mark Twain. How did I came to his works and learn more about him?

Samuel Langhorne Clemens was the actual real name as his pen name was Mark Twain. My mother and sister love reading books and books anywhere, and my mother was a librarian for many years. One of the books I read was about Helen Kellar and her meeting with Mark Twain. Here is Twain’s quote “I am filled with the wonder of her knowledge, acquired because shut out from all distractions. If I could have been deaf, dumb, and blind, I also might have arrived at something.

– Mark Twain’s Speeches”. http://www.twainquotes.com/Keller_Helen.html

“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”

Slowly I learn to understand his quotes and his works like Huckleberry Finn – Tom Sawyer, Letters from the Earth, A Dog’s Tale, or The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain. Then I moved up to University where I took and studied my BA in History and Linguistics and Anthropology, more books to read, and understanding from the books to typing assignments. Indeed I have had supported persons like interpreters (sign language), notetakers, proofreaders-assistance person and extra times to spend studying for five and a half years. I asked for more bits of help from my mother and sister to double-check my home assignments to them by faxing or email with an attachment. Dawn of the years studying, I completed my BA degree at last, and I felt great. 

I did not realise Twain visited New Zealand until I learnt about the history and language paper at the University. I sourced the books at the library until I found several newspapers, books and Twain’s books about New Zealand. 

“With courage, you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.”

Every day as a deaf specialised community worker, advocator, tutor, historian, and blogger, I use my thinking cap and start looking out outside or observing the mother’s natures. People doing things strangely, even their behaviour are odd. I dare take the risk of pen wording down to tell a story, blog, or book. This is why I use Twain’s quote – With courage…..

Our lives here at home is an impressive experience, peaceful for my hearing partner, spaces in the property where our dogs run and walk around freely within the fence boundary. Our home is far away from city life, work in the gardens, and relax with a coffee cup in the courtyard. 

“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful of your life.”