Bye bye, tablet, hello girlfriend.

Baai baai, tablet, hallo vriendin.

Scroll down for English version. Original in Afrikaans, translated by Mom.

Ek is so in my skik dat ek my tablet en selfoon kon los, want dit was die moeilikste ding wat ek nog ooit probeer het.

Ek is al baie keer vies gewees vir myself oor ek nie die ding kan uitlos nie. Dit is my grootste prestasie wat ek nog behaal het. My prys vir hierdie prestasie is ‘n ware vriendskap met ‘n vriendin.

Ek het altyd my tablet gesien as my vriend, maar ook my vyand omdat dit my gehelp het om te kalmeer, maar my ook angstig gemaak het.

Omdat ek nie kan praat nie, was my tablet my enigste geselskap. Nou is ek deel van ‘n ander wêreld wat heeltemal anders werk as toe ek nie kon kommunikeer nie. My tablet was maklike geselskap, want hy het nie terug gepraat of van mening verskil nie. My tablet het my nooit hartseer of kwaad gemaak nie, dit was net my eie reaksie wat ek mee moes “struggle”.

Nou is dinge anders, want ‘n vriendskap met ‘n mens is soveel meer gekompliseerd, want die ander persoon het ook ‘n wil van sy of haar eie en gevoelens en idees en planne. Nou is my vriendskap heeltemal anders en dit is vir my ‘n onbekende wêreld wat ek nog nie ken nie en dit is ‘n baie moeilike ding om uit te “figure”.

My hart is soms bang ek doen dit nie reg nie en soms is ek benoud dat ek my vriendin gaan verloor, maar ek leer nou hoe ‘n vriendskap in die pratende wêreld werk en dit is soveel beter as toe ek nie kon kommunikeer nie en net my tablet gehad het. Al is dit soms moeilik  en selfs vreemd vir my, bly die vriendskap met my vriendin steeds baie beter as met my tablet.

Ek het nog net een vriendin waarmee ek gereeld gesels. Ek hoop dit is die begin van nog vele ander vriendskappe vir my en vir haar, want ons het altwee jare se verlore tyd en vriendskappe om in te haal.

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‘n Gedig wat ek vir my vriendin, Stephanie geskryf het en ‘n gedig wat sy terug geskryf het:

Non  – speaking friendship By Nicolaas Paulsen   I have a friend I have a non-speaking friend I have a friend who understands being   non-speaking I have a non – speaking friend who understands being non – speaking   And we chat with each other About being non – speaking Even though we are non – speaking   Being non – speaking is solitude Being non – speaking is silence Being non – speaking is sometimes without friends   Having a non – speaking friend makes all the difference   Now I am not solitude’s victim Now I am not my silence’s victim Now I am not without a true friend.   Having a non – speaking friend I can chat to, makes all the difference.   Thank you Stephanie for being my friend I love you as my friend and I will always remember you  as my first non – speaking friend   that I can chat with. I love you for being my friend.

Life’s true treasure By Stephanie Pringle   Friends are gems Too precious to hold                Divine moonstones             Glorious rubies Majestic pearls   Imagine having very few How priceless they would be                        Ring of friends             String of mates             Crown of love   Too valuable to measure Life’s true treasure

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Bye bye, tablet, hello girlfriend.

I’m so pleased that I could let go of my tablet and phone. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever tried.

I’ve been frustrated with myself, many times, for not being able to leave the thing alone. This is my greatest achievement. My prize for this achievement is a real friendship with a girlfriend.

I always saw my tablet as my friend, but also my enemy because it helped me calm down, but also made me anxious.

Because I can’t speak, my tablet was my only company. Now I’m part of another world which is completely different from when I couldn’t communicate. My tablet was easy company because he didn’t speak back or differ from opinion. My tablet never made me sad or angry, it was just my own reaction that I had to struggle with.

Now things are different because a friendship with a human being is so much more complicated because the other person also has a will of his or her own and feelings and ideas and plans. Now my friendship is completely different and it is still an unknown world that I don’t know yet and it’s a very difficult thing to “figure out”.

My heart is sometimes afraid I don’t do it right and sometimes I’m distressed that I’m going to lose my girlfriend, but I’m now learning how a friendship works in the speaking world  and it’s so much better than when I couldn’t communicate and just had my tablet. Even though it is sometimes difficult and even strange to me, the friendship with my girlfriend remains much better than with my tablet.

I still have only one girlfriend I talk to regularly. I hope this is the beginning of many other friendships for me and for her, because we have both years of lost time and friendships to catch up on.