DPN20 Day! Lost an hour weekend.

G'day Everyone! IT'S 20 YEAR PARTY TIME!! P-A-R-T- Y? BECAUSE IT IS OUR TIME TO DO SO!!

I wish I could be there, unfortunately, I have other plans for this weekend!! ;-( But don't fear it! Like everyone else that can't be there for this MAJOR MILESTONE of events in Deaf History, most of us will be watching the events live at www.deafnation.com (tune in at 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST). For news about the DPN going on, check out http://www.dpnnews.com/.

As I post this, there should be some workshops going on today on the Gallaudet University Campus.

I'm really happy to see this event come to pass. Though it may be a quiet celebration (but noisy in our deaf society!), I can understand to keep it all low key given to how things have happen on our Gallaudet University campus.

But compare that to 20 years ago. What a difference from an age of Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) that we used to shout on, calling our friends on the Teletypewriters (TTYs), and personally visiting friends to bring about the news of what was happening on the Gallaudet University Campus. It was important for every deaf person to get to Gallaudet University and bring about a historic change. It was a groundbreaking time. It amazed me how it went.

Sadly to say, for me, I could not race to DC area as much as I wanted to as an NTID alumni. I was asked to go. But, my former boss had actually threatened me to be fired from my job if I had gone to join the Deaf President Now Protest. As much as I had needed the job, I reluctantly stayed where I was. I watched history go by to it's conclusion. The reason why I couldn't go was because I had just started work for this company.
8 years after DPN, when my company was then brought out by another company through a merger (as if Karma had it in to punish my boss), my former boss then looked at me and apologized for his actions and made sure to give me a generous final severance pay package.

I believe all the students who were at Gallaudet University in the 1987-1988 school year got more than just an education. They were a part of that history on campus. I wouldn't even be jealous of that. But if I had been given a second chance at life to choose what time line I'd like to choose live all over again, I would definitely start right back in the 1984 era. Don't ask why, it's just a wish I have.

Just as it was important at DPN10 (I was there at Gallaudet at that time), it was a great time of celebration. I loved the march down from the campus to the Capital Hill area. But given to today's rainy weather, I doubt there'll be a march for DPN20. But it would be nice on this important day.

As the final day of Standard time goes by, just don't forget that we'll all lose an hour this weekend. At 2am Sunday morning, time will leap to 3am officially as Daylight Savings Time (DST) begins. So if you party tonight, just remember that missing church on Sunday morning will be the least of your worries. Unless you work on Sunday, angry boss Sunday (bring some extra coffee to him!).

So, please have a SAFE and SEMPER FI DPN20 DAY!! CELEBRATE!

So May you all have a SAFE and HAPPY DPN20 DAY!