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From: Alan (to Lori)
Date: 19 Oct 2009
Time: 15:37:30 -0500
Remote Name: 81.77.82.99
Hi Lori, Thank you for taking the time to read my paper and provide feedback. Many people have opined that the content is equally applicable to persons who do not stutter. Yes, I was a former police officer. I realised at an early age that I could take a relatively easy passage through life by seeking employment that did not require a great deal of speaking. But that was not the path I wished to tread – I knew that I needed to face my fears head-on. And, so, at the tender age of 19, I applied to join the Police Service. At the time, I was heavily reliant upon word substitution – I became a ‘walking thesaurus’. I managed to successfully complete the interview by carefully selecting the words that I believed I could say. Once accepted, it was a different matter. Giving evidence in court proved particularly challenging, as I could not say 19 of the words contained in the 23 word oath. The odds were heavily stacked against me. :-) I was, subsequently, transferred into an administrative role when a senior officer wrote of me “When this officer gives evidence in court, he is an embarrassment to all”. Some years later, he also wrote, “The only reason he has not been considered for promotion is his speech impediment”. My police career was tainted by a catalogue of heartache and lost opportunities. I was never able to fulfil my true potential because of my speech. Lori, there is so much more that I could relate about the difficulties I encountered as a police officer - but I simply don’t have time. :-) If you are interested in learning more about my experiences in uniform (and how I eventually came to terms with my stutter), may I respectfully suggest that you check out the following transcript of a speech that I initially gave at the British Stammering Association annual conference in 2001. I repeated it at the NSA annual conference the following year: ‘Stuttering is not just a speech problem’ http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/Infostuttering/badmington.pdf Every cloud has a silver lining. During recent years, I have become very active as a public speaker – my engagements causing me to travel to three different continents. You may consider it ironic that I am now invited, by my former police force, to address groups of police officers (and civilian employees) in seminars aimed at assisting their personal growth. I bear no grievances whatsoever – the past is history. Lori, I’m pleased that you found my ISAD paper of interest. Kindest regards Alan