[ Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Alan B (to Stacy)
Date: 19 Oct 2010
Time: 14:57:08 -0500
Remote Name: 95.144.68.101
Hi Stacy, Thank you for reading my paper and participating in the threaded discussion. Having stuttered since childhood, it was inevitable that speaking in front of groups figured prominently among my list of fears. A catalogue of painful experiences, accumulated throughout my life, had fuelled my belief that I could never successfully perform that role. In 2000 (after acquiring new tools and techniques), I plucked up the courage to join the Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC) - which has its origins in Toastmasters International. I didn’t just join one club, I secured membership of THREE. :-) I regularly attended their meetings affording me numerous opportunities to deliver prepared and impromptu speeches, chair meetings, facilitate topics sessions, present tutorials and provide oral evaluations of speeches made by other members. A half a century of stuttering provided me with the motivation to sample the experience of addressing an audience. I yearned to become a public speaker. Over the years, my struggles with the spoken word encouraged me to cultivate useful writing skills. In many instances, transferring my thoughts to paper was the only effective way in which I could meaningfully express myself. The written option allowed me to communicate exactly what I wanted to say. I could select words without the usual anticipatory fear associated with stuttering. My past oral exchanges were littered with words that I considered to be inferior or, in some cases, totally inappropriate. I succumbed to mediocrity simply because I did not want the listener to see/hear me stutter. When participating in oral communication, I had always avoided words that appeared to cause me particular difficulty. I developed the expertise to (almost unconsciously) substitute synonyms that I felt more confident in using. I became a 'walking thesaurus'. Habitual use of word substitution meant that I amassed an extensive and varied vocabulary. My literary dexterity (as explained above), coupled with the ability to tap into my over-flowing word reservoir, proved invaluable when I needed to write my own speeches, contributing immensely to the success that I have since enjoyed since becoming involved in public speaking. You can read more about this in my 2008 ISAD Online Conference paper: ‘Thanks to my stutter, I'm never lost for words’: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/gift11/badmington11.html My very first talk about my lifetime of stuttering (entitled ‘Lost for Words’ and extending to 60 minutes) occurred in 2002. Someone heard me being interviewed live on BBC radio (in relation to stuttering) and invited me to address a group of retired professional/business people. I quickly learned that there is an insatiable demand for public speakers within the community, together with a hugely active grapevine. If one group likes your talk, your details are quickly passed from organisation to organisation. That’s exactly happened. For the past 8 years, I have been simply inundated with requests – my engagements already extend as far ahead as 2012. Nowadays, I don’t just speak about stuttering. Several organisations have invited me back to speak about other subjects (on two, three, four and even five occasions), so I am expanding my comfort zones even further. :-) You wrote “Your article references positive experiences and that your audiences have been enthusiastic and interested, but have you ever had any bad public speaking experiences?” The feedback I receive is always positive. Many members of the audience tell me that (after hearing my story) they are inspired to tackle issues in their own lives. It’s important to realise that it is not just PWS who have fears about public speaking; it’s not just PWS who allow their disempowering beliefs and narrow self-image to restrict the way in which their lives. After hearing how I had faced my fears, one lady told me that she was determined to build up courage to drive on motorways (freeways) so that she could visit her grand-daughter several hundred miles away. Another (in her 80’s) wrote to tell me that she had been encouraged to acquire a computer so that she could communicate with relatives in Australia. There are numerous other examples. Factors that affect some PWS (such as low self-esteem; lack of assertiveness; negative thinking; avoidance strategies; failure to expand comfort zones; deficient social and communication skills etc) also apply to many people who do not stutter. Stacy, I’m afraid that I must close at this point. If you wish to read more about my public speaking activities, check out the following article on the British Stammering Association website: ‘My commitment to speaking about stuttering is opening so many new doors’ http://www.stammering.org/newdoors.html Thank you, once again, for contributing. I wish you every success with your studies and future career. Kindest regards Alan