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From: Peter Reitzes
Date: 08 Oct 2005
Time: 14:33:35 -0500
Remote Name: 69.22.238.4
Jack, you ask some important questions. At a tailgating event or in a similar situation I believe you need to first decide upon your voluntary stuttering goal. Do you want to stutter on purpose in a “hard” manner to get your stuttering immediately out into the open? Do you want to voluntarily stutter in an easy or gentle manner to set an example for yourself for how you want to modify your moments of “real” stuttering? Or do you want to focus on a different voluntary stuttering goal? When tailgating, consider using voluntary stuttering in a clearly noticeable or “hard” manner while maintaining eye contact during the stutters. This will help prevent your from expending time and energy in avoiding your stuttering while immediately informing your new friends that you stutter. When meeting new people while tailgating, consider “advertising” your stuttering in some way. For example, you may say something like, “By the way, sometimes when I speak I stutter” or “I like to tell people I am meeting that I am stutterer because this often makes it easier for me to speak.” Many people will appreciate your honesty. Sure it may seem awkward to tell a new acquaintance that you stutter, but it may seem equally as awkward when you stutter without any type of acknowledgement of the stuttering. I am not suggesting that you apologize in any way for your stuttering. I am suggesting that you consider mentioning your stuttering early in a new relationship with the goal of putting both yourself and your listener at ease. When you tell someone that you stutter you can expect a host of different responses. Some people may say something like, “Hey, that’s cool man, no big deal.” Others will mention friends or family members who stutter. Some may ask questions about your stuttering while others will simply ignore that you said it. The important point is that you acknowledged your stuttering in an attempt to make everyone involved more comfortable with how you speak.