When I was about 8 years old, my dad bought me a book filled with illustrations on how to recite the alphabet. It might seem like I was a bit old to be learning something so rudimentary, but it was the way it showed those ABCs that made the big difference. Each letter was interpreted into American Sign Language, the pages filled with beautiful drawings explaining exactly how to form the letters with your hands.
My dad and I would use that as a foundation for our own secret messages over the years, but we never really went further in our studies. It's something I've always been interested in picking back up, though, especially after seeing the incredible activism and support from the deaf community like super hunky model Nyle DiMarco. Audiences were baffled when the dapper fella made his way to the Dancing With the Stars stage, but he proved that deaf individuals can be just as melodic and rhythmic as the rest of us.
The precious kiddos below do the same with their adorable interpretation of one of The White Stripes' more delightful ditties, "We Are Going To Be Friends." Filmed at a vibrant school setting, young girls and boys of various ages give the tune a whole new layer of sweet sentiment as they sign along to Jack White's vocals. On top of being charming on its own, you can also pick up on a few of the terms as the lyrics repeat itself!
Take a look below and you'll definitely learn the way to say "friend" in ASL. Be sure to pass it along to your friends, too, by hitting the SHARE button!
