04 July 2009
Philip Proposed a Blog Topic
that I've been puzzling over since he brought it up: a universal way of signing "I'm sorry!" You're driving down the road and cut off someone you didn't see was there. They honk and pull past you. How do you indicate to them that you didn't intentionally do it and asking their pardon? Does anyone know what the ASL way of communicating that is?
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In this day and age, with "road rage" and all, I am not so sure I would want to try to non-verbally communicate with someone on the road all ready letting me know their disapproval of my driving through "honking" and maybe with the middle finger. They might not understand whatever I gesture in return, or may not even want to, and use it as an excuse to hand out grief.
In these situations I have learned to simply go about my business and say "sorry" under my breath.
I'm pretty sure the ASL sign for sorry is making a several circles with an open palm on your chest.
Look how sorry the fellow is here:
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/s/sorry.htm
You know, there IS a sign in the Church for sorry. During the confiteor, the penitent strikes the chest three times during the
mea culpa,
mea culpa,
mea maxima culpa
My fault,
My fault,
My grievous fault.
Maybe three times striking the chest would work! The ASL sign put it in my head. What do you guys think?
Sorry can be sign with an open hand circled on the chest OR the same motion with a closed fist (letter S). (I also serve the deaf up here in MI)
Neither could be seen while you drive :)
I've always sheepishly waved with the appropriate "sorry grimace." Often, it is received with the appropriate glare on the other party's part. YMMV
The confession is good too. ;)
And maybe the universal, reciprocal "I forgive you" sign could be the sign of the cross... te absolvo? ;o)
Well thank God for Vatican II then, or else the other guy would have to do it back -- the former reciprocal sign.
OTOH the other guy using the words of absolution from the rite of confession (whoops, Sacrament of Reconciliation) would sort of indicate the priesthood of all believers.
OTOH striking the breast in our secular culture might be taken as a primal sign of victory.
OTOH "King Kong" is the name of a local chain which has the absolute best fast burger in Omaha. They'll be open soon, maybe I can go have a critical event there, like eating one.
OTOH there are no other hands, as Tevye noted.
I drive in the land of road rage. I totally agree with Jim above. Any gesture is potentially dangerous. I was with a driver who attempted to acknowledge fault and things nearly got confrontational. We are beyond civility when it comes to driving and blogging.
We can't afford to accept being "beyond civility" anywhere. If we are, then it's our job to reclaim it.
So, "sorry" signs? A possibility ... as long as it looks absolutely nothing whatsoever like any other hand signal. :) An embarrassed grimace usually works for me ...
Take care & God bless
WF
the "I'm sorry wave" from Seinfeld.... the "Puerto Rican Day Parade" episode
I googled the Seinfeld sorry sign that was suggested, raise your hands and lower your head, and it sounds like it could be misunderstood as a mocking gesture. I tend to think one can only avoid eye contact and slow down and out of their way. If need be, perhaps a slow nodding of the head to indicate "yes" would be seen as subservient, as if saying "Yes, you are right, I was as stupid as you suggest. I agree with you." The only reason that I think this might work is because the opposite, wagging your head "no", is seen to be as a way of saying "I can't believe how wrong and stupid you are."
The only surefire way seems to be to only offend a deaf driver, for whom sign language for "sorry" would be understandable.
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