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Transcription: [00:08:56]

{SPEAKER name="William Ennis/John Ennis (interpreter)"}
I have two brothers, one is here. Who's interpreting is my, one of my brothers. He's a member of the "Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf." And then I have a third brother who, another brother who's deaf.

[00:09:10]

I guess when I was about five or six, my parents begin to learn signs. At that time she was a PTA president, encouraged to set up a sign language class for parents who had deaf children. That was back in 1951, '52, somewhere about '53. I think that was pretty unusual, or perhaps unheard of, for them to be signing at that time in the home.

[00:09:32]

Now one, uh, thing I do remember,a story very well. When I, guess I had some kind of problem, in that I was be-- that I was deaf.

[00:09:46]

I wanted to join a little league baseball, uh, team for the summer. And I thought, man I was a fantastic baseball player.

[00:09:55]

I just felt I was a good athlete, but my problem was when I wanted to join the team I though: "Huh, what about I ask my ma if I get John, make him come with me?" Make him come, go with me to the-- uh, so my mom decided to encourage both of us to go.

[00:10:09]

We drove over to the field, and I saw all those boys going over there for the try out. I decided, uh, John got out of the car and I decided no. I decided I don't want to go.

[00:10:22]

I felt, uh, to go all through those process of communication and I just hated everybody staring at me. Maybe looking at me as if I was something different. I was having all these problems with that.

[00:10:35]

My mom said, "Get out. Go play baseball. Go on. You wanted to play, go on." I said, "Yeah, I did, but I think I'd really go home. Take me home."

[00:10:42]

Mother finally pushed me and then got her foot up on the seat and shoved me out of the car. [[laughter]] And I was, "What you--? What in the world are you doing, mom? Wait." She shut the door and took off. [[laughter]]

[00:10:55]

And I guess, uh, I'm really grateful for that; of course now. It was rough then. My little brother had-- I was following him. I'd get in front of him, and lead him over there to the try outs. We made it and we had-- everything worked out real well.

[00:11:11]

Not long ago I was talking to my mom about those old days. And I said, "Do you remember that you had to push me out?" She says, "Oh,no, I never did anything like that." I said, "Yes, I remember you pushed me out of the car."

[00:11:21]

Mom started thinking about, she is, "Yes, yes, I guess. I really do remember. It really hurt me to do that to you. It made me cry all the way home."

[00:11:29]

But I was really-- I told her, "I was really glad you did that, because it, that was a very good. We had a good old time playing baseball."

[00:11:35]
{SPEAKER name="Jo Radner"}
Thank you very much. That was a fun--

Transcription Notes:
Jan DeLap is the moderator. She asks Bill to speak in the previous recording. I am assuming that is William Ennis, the only 'Bill' on the list