Children have a voice! Max Talks. Guest: Tadeusz Garman

[Maks]: Hi, today I’m going to ask my grandfather questions.

Situation of the deaf several decades ago

When you were growing up, what were the conditions for the deaf?

[Tadeusz]: When I was younger, my parents, when I said something, they always left me out, ashamed that someone would make fun of me. They didn’t tell me much at home, so my development was also slow, it was hard.

[Maks]: Do you have siblings?

[Tadeusz]: I have a deaf sibling.

[Maks]: What are their names?

[Tadeusz]: Dorota. I also have a hearing brother.

[Maks]: What was the school for the deaf like?

[Tadeusz]: I was in an elementary school in Lublin – 8 years. It was okay, there was development, thanks to sports, everything was great, I was very satisfied.

[Maks]: What was the sport like?

[Tadeusz]: Athletics, javelin throw, I went to Wroclaw for the national competition – I took 3rd place. I went there in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. I had very good results.

[Maks]: Did you go to school from home, or were you in a boarding school?

[Tadeusz]: In a boarding school. Lublin was a long way from my family home, it would have been hard to commute, I was at a boarding school from September to December, then January to April and went home for the vacations, I had little contact with my parents.

[Maks]: During the year, how many months did you see your family?

[Tadeusz]: For the vacations in November not much, in December about 10-14 days, in April about 7 days, in the vacations 2 months, I met very little.

[Maks]: When you were older, what was your occupational direction?

[Tadeusz]: Locksmith, in the Three Crosses Square.

[Maks]: What does this profession look like?

[Tadeusz]: I worked in the evenings, measured with calipers, repaired machines, everything. I made tools, such as hammers, pincers, saws, scythes and much more. It was fun.

Relationship: deaf child – hearing parents

[Maks]: Your parents were hearing, how did you have contact with them?

[Tadeusz]: Yes, yes. Contact – we had our way of communicating.

[Maks]: But were they talking or signing?

[Tadeusz]: Ordinarily, they spoke to me – they didn’t know how to signing, it was something like showing.

Comparison: past and present

[Maks]: If you were to compare the earlier times to the present – when was it better – now or before?

[Tadeusz]: It’s better now. When my son – Rafal – was little, he used to ask: “What is this?”, I was signing, explaining. My grandfather said it was a shame, hearing people would look, I didn’t focus on it, I wanted to develop my son, that’s why I was signing. Later, when my grandfather saw Rafal grow, he was about your age, he would talk to him, he said great. When I was younger, it was lime. But it wasn’t my fault, it was my parents who left me out and my development stood still. Thanks to the fact that I taught my son, he has a lot of knowledge.

[Maks]: Today we have a lot of electronics, before there was none of that. Which is better?

[Tadeusz]: Electronics help with writing, with grammar, with development, in the past we didn’t have that. I think deaf and hearing people didn’t have that development. Hearing people certainly benefited from the development of mobile technology.

[Maks]: It depends. And leisure time – they used to spend it outside, and now they spend it on cell phones. Which is better?

[Tadeusz]: It used to be better, a lot of sports, games, cycling, together with company. Now mostly alone, on the phone, it’s sad. Before, it was better, lots of company. Hearing people, deaf people were together, played soccer together, volleyball together, it was fun before.

[Maks]: What was your favorite game as a child? For example, playing with teddy bears?

[Tadeusz]: Mostly sports, I didn’t play with teddy bears, only sports, running, swimming, most sports.

[Maks]: When you were younger, what did you dream of – in the future?

[Tadeusz]: I think about nothing. Later I chose vocational school, the profession of locksmith, that’s what I did. I had no dreams about the future.

[Maks]: When your son was born – what were the conditions? What were they like? Did you have help or not?

[Tadeusz]: I helped my son a lot, he was in a boarding school, we couldn’t meet, he was in Przemyśl. I sent him money, it was hard.

[Maks]: How do you see your son’s life, his different stages, do you think they are good?

[Tadeusz]: Yes, my son was cool, he was sent on vacation to his grandmother – because she lived near the lake, he had company, there were a lot of hearing people, he one was deaf, but he was together with them.

[Maks]: Are there more deaf or hearing people in your family?

[Tadeusz]: More hearing people. We are deaf only me, my wife, my sister, and my grandmother has 1 deaf person in the family, a total of 4 people, more hearing people.

[Maks]: I think that’s it.

[Tadeusz]: Thank you.

[Maks]: Thank you.