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From: Alan Badmington
Date: 22 Oct 2011
Time: 11:58:09 -0500
Remote Name: 95.144.72.117
Hi J. Wayne, Your paper will touch the hearts of many who read it. It would have been so easy for you to have followed your father’s advice to seek employment that did not require a great deal of speaking or social interaction. But that was not the path you wished to tread. Avoiding fear only serves to fuel it. We overcome fear by confronting it head-on – and that’s exactly what you did. Your actions took immense courage and resolve, especially at such a young age. Your story will serve to encourage/inspire other PWS to participate widely on life’s stage. I hope you will forgive me taking the liberty to express the wish that you do not still harbour feelings of anger towards your father. Stuttering is hugely misunderstood – both within society (in general) and even amongst our family and friends. Parents can sometimes be a little too over-protective. I suspect that the advice he offered was principally intended to shield you from what he perceived as potential embarrassment and possible unhappiness. As a father myself, I appreciate that we must allow our children to make their own decisions in life; they need to venture into uncharted waters and expose themselves to risks. That is how they grow as human beings. But it can be difficult to find the correct balance – parents sometimes get it wrong. What’s happened in the past is history – we cannot undo what occurred. If you have not already done so, I urge you to consider forgiving your father (at least in your own mind). When we retain such thoughts, we allow the other person to continue to push our emotional buttons. I sincerely hope that you do not consider my comments impertinent and intrusive. That is certainly not my intention. Thank you, once again, for sharing your courageous story. Kindest regards Alan