This morning I returned to my car after a bike ride on trails at Black Hill Regional Park. Someone had pulled in next to me and was inside talking loudly on a cell phone. I couldn’t tell but I assumed it was a man. Men talk loud.

As I’m transitioning from the ride a woman exits the car alone and pulls out a baby backpack carrier and places it on the ground. She then brings out a young toddler from the car and situates him in the carrier. I also notice there is a pet carrier in the car and there appears to be something moving inside. What next I wonder? She then brings out a dog from the pet carrier and attaches a leash to it. As I’m watching this scene unfold I sa to her, “I apologize for staring but I don’t often see someone about to go run with a baby on her back and a dog on a leash”. I’m impressed.

The dog growls at me. I guess no one likes to be stared at. I try to make nice and she says the dog’s name is Marshmallow and walks her over to meet me. I start talking to Marshmallow and the woman says “she can’t hear”. I didn’t know dogs couldn’t hear I say. As I’m scratching Marshmallows’ head I ask how she gets the dog to do things. She says “with sign language” and she holds out her hand palm down and the dog sits. 

She says she comes from a family with deafness and signing is natural to her. I mentioned I’ve a good friend with two children who are deaf and she’s the director of a national organization for the deaf. Is her name Barbara the woman says. Yes it is I say. Raimando? Yes again!

Small world eh I say? The woman says in the “deaf community” there are only two (not six) degrees of separation between people. And now I know two of them and have learned a thing or two. Gratitude -