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From: Pam
Date: 06 Oct 2011
Time: 13:30:30 -0500
Remote Name: 67.248.218.106
Thanks for sharing that Laura. I think so many people who stutter think Toastmasters could never work for them, but as we know, it can and does. That's the key - to not let the stuttering limit you and to expect any different standards. I remember when I first started, I worried a lot about the "Um and Ah" counter. Many people who stutter, myself included, use the dreaded "uh or uhm" as a "starter" for tough words or to avoid a particular word. I worried that fellow members would think I really had a lousy command of language, when the uhms were really just a part of my speech pattern. These days, I am much more in control and hardly use any filler or starter words, preferring instead to just stutter. I also used to worry quite a bit about going over time, since all speeches are timed, and sometimes stuttering just takes longer. Now, I just prepare less material! :)