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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 10/17/03
Time: 2:40:15 PM
Remote Name: 12.237.88.139
Hi Jennifer,
First of all don't be scared away from a profession just because it's scary. You CAN do this - and if you don't someone even less qualified to do it WILL. I know it's hard, but that's what school and conferences like this are all about. Hang tight and keep the faith that you'll develop the expertise to work very competently with all this stuff. Join the NSA, and we'll be here to help you for the rest of your life. You might also join the Stutt-L listserv which is full of people just like you. As the NSA says "If you stutter, you're not alone." And if you're an SLP, you're not alone either! Working together we make a dynamite team!
Second, if you've joined Toastmasters, you've done a wonderful thing for yourself. If you haven't joined yet, you really should. It's a fantastic organization. You learn about oral communication and have FUN doing it. Try it. You'll LOVE it! <smile>
Third, my iceberg. No, it's certainly not completely gone but it's a very low density one. Kinda like Styrofoam. There's not much left under the water, but there's still quite a bit above. And I honestly like it that way. I stutter very openly and easily and have no fear of speaking in almost any circumstance. (One exception is being stopped by a state trooper for speeding. Oh god, don't get me started...) I speak in public all the time teaching people about stuttering and if I didn't stutter, my credibility would suffer greatly. You can read my paper last year on "The Gift of Stuttering" at ...
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad5/papers/hicks5.html
to see more details of why I feel that way.
Will it (CAN it) ever go away completely? That's a good question. It certainly can be reduced to a manageable level - at least in my case - but to completely eliminate it? Probably not. In my case it's certainly down below a level that I really care about it any more. There are a lot more pressing issues in my life than stuttering.
Does this answer your questions, Jennifer? I hope so. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
I've said this so often, but I need to say it again and again to you SLP students... Thank you for dedicating YOUR life and YOUR career to MY cause. I love you because of what you are doing.
Best of luck in school!
Russ
PS, You've got a very cool last name! <smile>