Confirmation Day For Blaise

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Re: Great Information

From: Martin Jumbam
Date: 12 Oct 2004
Time: 05:09:52 -0500
Remote Name: 134.146.0.12

Comments

Nicole, I definitely saw an improvement in Blaise's eye-contact. For the few days I prepared him to receive the Eucharist, he was no longer constantly looking away when I talked with him. But, there's one thing I should point out here, though. Blaise's reaction could have been influence by our culture, which discourages children from looking directly into the eyes of adults when they are talking with them. So when a young man, like Blaise, does not look me directly in the eyes, I'm not sure whether he's just being shy, or whether he's simply complying with this cultural requirement. But, Blaise came to trust me well enough to look at me more directly in the face than he did the first day we met. In fact, I remember even wondering at one time if he was not only imagining that he was stammering, because he was quite fluent for the good part of the time we were together. But then, there came moments of hesitation when an answer took much longer to come and I realized it was not because he didn't know it; but that he was simply having difficulty speaking. I believe that his contacts with SCAC (Speak Clear Association of Cameroon) are going to be of much help to him. If I knew then what I know now about stammering -- I have been doing some reading on it -- I would have been more observant on Blaise's body language, eye contacts, etc. I hope I've answered your question.


Last changed: 09/12/05