Day 17
Posted on: May 14, 2004No Comments
 We camped out at a rest area just outside of Nashville and got up at 7 in the morning because we had an 8 a.m. appointment to get an oil change for our RV. The oil change was done at Camping World, a store that services RVs and sells parts and many cool accessories for them. While Kevin slept on a sample leather recliner designed for RV in the middle of the store, Branic, Jed, and I looked around the store and saw the many neat things that you could accessorize your RV in. Branic and I then went next door to an RV sales company and we enjoyed seeing huge $200,000 RVs that were beyond what I could imagine ever needing, and it was fun comparing RVs to what we had. We then hit the road once again and headed for the Little Rock Association for the Deaf club house in Arkansas. The LRAD house is a simple free standing structure with two signs bearing both its name and logo. The clubhouse’s interior is lined on one wall with endless trophies that LRAD has won over the years, and all of its long-time members go on and on with how much they love basketball and how they consistently compete on the national level. You can clearly see by how all the men and women talk, that Arkansas-ians like their sports. Even Miss Deaf Arkansas, Elenas Osegera who will represent Arkansas at the Miss Deaf America pageant at the NAD convention, is an avid lover of sports. Her platform is “No Athlete Left Behind,” and she strongly believes in good support systems for athletes. It surprised me to see a state devoid of any major sports team filled with so many lovers of the game.  We met long-time LRAD president, Robert Brannan and current president, Derrel Ringgold and got a quick history of the club as well as other information. An expansion was made in 1974 to include a bar, which is the main source of revenue for the clubhouse. The bar serves up all kinds of drinks, and is well decorated with different lights, posters, and different ads for all kinds of beers. After a long fundraising campaign, the club finally recently added a nice fenced patio as well, where club members could go out to smoke, have cook-outs, where kids can play, and many other uses. I also met Charles Helm, who has always been a resident of Arkansas. Using a map of Arkansas, he wasted no time showing me the historical spots all over the state, and giving a brief explanation of each. He loves Arkansas with all of his heart, and could never leave. He explained to me that the Deaf community usually gathers for many outdoor activities. There are many clubs that Deaf people are members of, including bass clubs, deer hunting clubs, hiking clubs, and several more. The residents like to take advantage of the many lakes and forests in the state, and the mountains in the western part of the state. When we left, we were given parting gifts from LRAD’s concession stand, brownies, cake, and an apple pie. We really have to thank them for these treats and for their hospitality. After spending a few hours at the clubhouse meeting the more than 50 people who came, we left on our way for Oklahoma where we would stop for the night on our way to Albuquerque.
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