I care about many different things and have a variety of interests, and I typically use writing as a platform for all of those different interests. In other words, I tend not to repeat myself with my articles. Last week I wrote about deaf performers and the importance of inclusion in theater and entertainment. I did not necessarily expect to want to write about something similar—something that I even mentioned in that article—for a second week. And then I met Marlee Matlin
Coming straight from signing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, Matlin was amiable, enthusiastic, and clearly excited to be at Cornell (courtesy of Cornell Hillel). With the assistance of her interpreter of 30 years, Jack Jason, Matlin told her story to a packed room of students and faculty from both Cornell and Ithaca College along with many members of the Ithaca community (and even people from Syracuse and Albany).
She spoke about the many hardships she has been through and how time after time people have underestimated her, particularly in Hollywood. But she had a dream, and through hard work and determination, she was able to make that dream come true, therefore proving everyone wrong. While our lives are clearly extremely different, I was still able to relate to her, particularly due to her connection to Judaism. Hearing about how she defied the odds to read Torah at her Bat Mitzvah was not only inspiring but also eye-opening; to see how from a young age she was so intent on not allowing her deafness to be a disability is truly extraordinary and definitely puts in perspective my own problems. It makes me want to work harder and do more to overcome any obstacles that seem to stand in my way, including obstacles within myself.
She also taught an important lesson, one that I have not stopped thinking about since she brought it up. You cannot allow others to define you by one particular aspect of who you are, and similarly, you cannot define yourself by one certain thing. Matlin made a point to explain how she has always thought about herself not as a deaf person, but as a person who just happens to be deaf. Her deafness is a part of who she is, but it is not all of who she is. And this is applicable to everyone.
As a member of the Hillel Major Speaker Series committee, I had the incredible opportunity to go out to dinner with Matlin and the rest of the committee after the event. I was thrilled to get to know Matlin on a more personal level and was not disappointed in the slightest. Despite being exhausted, she was more than happy to interact with us and answer our questions. After making sure she met each of us individually and learned our names, ages, and majors, we talked about a variety of things, including her work in "Children of a Lesser God" (for which she won the Oscar) and "The West Wing"; her thoughts on Sunday’s halftime show and performing alongside Lady Gaga; and her recent time on Broadway (and in case you were wondering, she loves "Hamilton" just as much as the rest of us).
What struck me most during both the talk and dinner was Matlin’s genuine happiness. For someone who has been through so much in her life and faced so much negativity, she simply radiates positivity. Her smiles as we asked for pictures and autographs were heartening, and she was endearingly excited to find out a video of her had made it onto the Ivy League Snapchat story. She even tweeted a video of herself and the committee to friends Henry Winkler and Josh Malina, both of whom have been Cornell Hillel speakers in the past.
I have been fortunate to attend many different lectures, but none have affected me the way Matlin’s did. As cheesy at is sounds, Matlin made me believe that I really can do anything if I put my mind to it. Thank you, Marlee, for your warmth and inspiration!
