Happy New Year to all of you, and with that wish, may each of the 365 days in 2012 hold some special meaning for each of you; a phone call from a friend, or family member, or a word of good cheer while you are waiting in a long line of cranky people. May each day contain something positive from which you can take to grow into an even grander person than you already are.
While visiting my relatives in Atlanta, Georgia, for Christmas, I decided to take them along for a beautiful tour of Savannah. It was a spectacular time filled with historical information, good food, and lots of laughter, all contributing to a very memorable Holiday.
As we toured the Historical District of Savannah, I recalled something I had learned as a student of American Sign Language, regarding a woman who was deaf, who not only lived in Savannah, but she was also the Founder of the Girl Scouts of America. Her name was Juliette Gordon Low. Not only was she born in Savannah, but her house is still there. This is also the very spot where the Girl Scouts held their very first meeting.
There’s one very familiar quote of Juliette’s call to her sister: “Come right over! I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight.” This quote appeared in a brochure I picked up at the house during our tour of the city.
I am sure many of you who are former (or current) members of the Girl Scouts can recall seeing the American Sign Language alphabet in your Girl Scouts manual.
To my knowledge, Juliette was born with a severe ear infection which left her deaf in one ear. Then, when she married, a piece of rice punctured the eardrum of the opposite ear, leaving her completely deaf. Juliette’s birth place, and her life-long home, continues to be beautifully preserved in Savannah, Georgia, by the Girl Scouts of America.
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