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From: Chris
Date: 08 Oct 2009
Time: 18:23:43 -0500
Remote Name: 76.183.230.202
Carla, thanks SO much for your kind note. To your question, what I would do differently is to work on a new self-identity with my stuttering as an advocate of myself. I would study the stuff thoroughly as a lay consumer/expert to be conversant about its basic etiology, statistics, what it is and what it isn't, mythbusters, stereotyping, the NSA, speech therapies, etc. and then I would routinely be an educator of EVERYONE who happen to appear to have a problem with my speech. I would be a calm, but confident, voice that advocates for myself as what the truth and reality is of stuttering. Had I had that attitude and self-identity, many of the things I mentioned that I encountered in my youth I could have countered and not have developed the head trip to have retreated, felt flawed or diminished or on the defensive which prompted my covert journey for over 20 years. Easier said than done for that age, however, I think the empowerment at any age first starts with how you plan to identify yourself. My mistake was I saw myself as someone who needed to protect others first and hide this "thing" instead of protecting myself first and accepting this "thing." As a SLP, you can help tell young people that they have a choice to define themselves as either (a) a young, happy, enthusiastic young guy...who happens to stutter...and do a whole bunch of other stuff, too, or (b) a young, happy, enthusiastic young guy who does a whole lot of stuff, but who stutters and unless he controls it, he won't be able to keep being young, happy and enthusiastic. With apologies for a longer answer, I just heard well known former Baylor quarterback/Prestonwood Baptist Church minister Neal Jeffries and famed stutterer speak to our agency this week -- primary lesson was that lots of bad stuff will and does happen in life to many people, but happiness will follow when you choose to find the most positive way to handle all the bad stuff in your life. Great lesson for young kids who stutter -- choices! Choose positive or negative on how to live with each of our lives' challenges. Thank goodness we have wonderful SLPs as yourself and advocates such as NSA who can give so many powerful tools to a young person to use while picking the positive path to co-exist with their stuttering. Thank you so much again, Carla, and most importantly for the important work you do to touch so many lives. Chris