I found ERA in an unexpected way. I had taken a break from work and while I wanted to take things easy, I also didn’t want to do nothing. I’d been studying Auslan (Australian Sign Language) for several years and thought it would be meaningful to put my skills to use in the community. I literally googled “Auslan volunteer” and ERA came up. I applied and was matched with my friend not long after! Now over a year later, I’m still visiting her almost every week.
My friend and I communicate a little differently to what I initially expected, our first visit was a real learning curve. I arrived signing confidently and realised we weren’t quite connecting. It took patience and creativity to find our groove, a combination of simplified signing, gesture and good old pen and paper when needed to understand each other.
Finding what she enjoys has taken some happy trial and error, I’ve even become a frequent visitor of my local library in the process. I learnt that her falling asleep mid-visit was an honest review of my book choice (no more science and technology)! Her favourite topics are animals and people, our current favourite is National Geographic’s Spectacle which is a stunning collection of rare and astonishing photographs. Over time I also learnt to let her take the lead. I used to sign descriptions of what I saw on each page but now I simply wait for her to react as we turn each page. Sometimes a photo will remind her of something she once saw or experienced and she’ll sign about it in her own way while I add to the conversation. It’s become a lovely back and forth, guided entirely by whatever catches her eyes. She usually has the chairs set up and her reading glasses ready before I even arrive!
More than anything, these visits have taught me to slow down and go at someone else’s pace. They’ve become a calm and pressure-free part of my week as I juggle work, study and other life commitments. It reminds me that meaningful communication doesn’t always require a shared language, just patience, warmth and a willingness to show up.