Silently Falling Apart

Did you know chaos could be silent? The very fiber of order and structure could be being ripped at the seams like a pack of hungry wolves attacking a wounded elk, and yet, you can hear a pin drop. As I looked at the eyes of the students in that American Sign Language during my junior year of high school, I didn't see teenagers at all but rather a group of great white sharks. What’s worse? I saw the teacher drop the blood in the water, and the before I knew it, the fight was on.

The class began like any other. Students silently filed in, waiting to learn the vocabulary of the day. Like many others, I signed up for American Sign Language because I figured there would be little written homework. What I did not know was that our instructor had a chip on his shoulder and every day would be nothing but a rant by the teacher complaining about how hearing students were entitled and snobby. Well on this day, the teacher’s temper tantrum became too much for one student. In the middle of class, one student stood up and told the teacher exactly what she thought of him. Mercilessly, she got in his face and cut him to the bone. I was shocked but other students were right on board. Suddenly a pack of angry students surrounded the teachers and all heck broke loose. The teacher’s reign had come to an end. From now on, the students demanded to decide what we learned. I expected the teacher to push back but he just stood their helplessly.

You would think an uproar like this would get oud or violent. But this one was silent. No words were verbally spoken but rather signed. Not a sound was heard but the message was loud and clear.