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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 10/20/02
Time: 9:00:04 PM
Remote Name: 12.212.230.104
Hello Lisa,
Thank you for your kind words. The lemonade is delicious, isn't it? <smile>
You asked: "when did you become so positive about your stuttering and was there a particular incident that happened to make you embrace that part of yourself?"
This was more of a process than it was a single incident, Lisa. Here are some of the key events, however...
1. I had loving and supportive parents. Without this foundation, I doubt the rest would have made much of a difference.
2. I had an early form of Fluency Shaping speech therapy in the 1950's. While that was insufficient to produce any lasting results at the time, it provided a basis to let me know what was possible, fluency-wise.
3. I joined the National Stuttering Association in 1984. Words cannot express how important this event was to me. It introduced me to some of the finest people in the entire world, my future heroes and role models.
4. I joined Toastmasters in 1988. Through the love and support of many fluent friends, I began to realize that my image of myself was entirely different from other's image of me. It was an amazing revelation - and continues to this day.
5. I attended a "Successful Life" seminar at Texas Instruments where I worked in 1989. I learned - and personally experienced - the profound truth of the saying that happiness is made not from what happens to you in life, but your reaction to it.
6. I won first place at the Toastmasters International Southwest United States Regional Humorous Speech contest in 1996 over nearly 40,000 other Toastmasters, 99% of whom are fluent. My persistent self image of myself as "poor stutterer" crumbled in the face of this event. I learned to trust other's views of me rather than my own view. I had been wrong all these years...
I assume you are a student SLP. Am I correct? If so, thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lisa, for dedicating YOUR life and YOUR career to MY cause. YOU are one of my heros too.
I wish you the very best in life.
Russ
RussHicks@mail.com