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From: Harry Dhillon
Date: 13 Oct 2009
Time: 09:20:17 -0500
Remote Name: 163.166.8.13
Okay, I lie...I don't really fear you Anita, but I thought it would be a catchy title. Fear eh? Yep, I've got some. In fact, I had LOTS of it in the past, and I was carrying it around like a back-breaking sack. But then I left a little of it behind in Finland, then some in Croatia, some more in the USA, and lots in Iceland. What am I talking about? Well, after each stuttering conference I have attended in Finland, Croatia, USA, and Iceland I found myself a little lighter and more confident. Such is the nature of stuttering conferences, and the sublime changes that occur when we are in the company of other stutters, that I have "found myself" as you would say, in the last few years. I feel transformed, I feel liberated, but I am under no illusions that the monster of fear is very much alive, and it always will be. And that's fine too. Fear is a fundamental part of the human condition. But as long as I can keep the monster on a leash, and tied in a corner then I am the boss. Stutters do not have a monopoly on fear - in fact, a lot of fluent speakers have far greater fear levels than us 'gifted' ones. Gifted? Well, in a way, because having a stutter has enabled us to face our fears better than fluent speakers, because we are confronted with them on a daily basis. Thank you for sharing a lovely and enlightening article with us, and the next time I see you at a conference, the only fear I will have is - "Will there be a queue of guys ahead of me, waiting for your attention?"! Harry