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From: Tim Mackesey
Date: 10/2/03
Time: 8:41:48 PM
Remote Name: 68.211.53.6
Humor changes meaning and reframes anything uncomfortable.
Circa 1992 I was fresh out of graduate school and practicing as an SLP in a hospital and treating stroke patients. By far my worst stuttering in that era was calling doctors for orders to evaluate patients. I had brutal blocks. I had a toxic thought that doctors would not give me credibility if I stuttered.
Anyway, I was calling a neurologist's office and as I introduced myself I stuttered severely through my name and the title "speech pathologist." The secretary exploded in laughter. I said "Did you laugh because I introduced myself as an SLP and stuttered while saying it? You see, I am an SLP who stutters." As soon as she started to plead for forgiveness, I said "You know, there is some potential humor there and I might link stuttering SLP with a chuckle." She attempted to plead again. I said "please let it go." We went on to talk about stuttering for about ten minutes. She then confided that her grandchild was stuttering. I loaned her an SFA tape and book. We became fast friends.
I saw my ability to reframe that moment instantly and take a "2nd perceptual position" (hers)and find some humor was not only a MASSIVE moment in my life, but I also helped a grandmother and a child. I fear that if I would have lashed out, or pretended like I did not hear the laugh and waited for the doctor to answer that I would have lost personally.
Cheers, Tim Mackesey