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From: Alan Badmington
Date: 04 Oct 2006
Time: 19:30:39 -0500
Remote Name: 81.76.3.59
Hi Marija, It's a pleasure to communicate with you, once again. I recall that we exchanged comments during a previous ISAD Online Conference. Your story about not buying meat, because of your fear of speaking in front of other customers, brought back similar memories from my childhood. It may surprise you that I can remember back that far ;-) Throughout my life, I had difficulty in saying words commencing with 13 letters of the alphabet, including the letter 'P'. My mother would ask me to go to the local grocery store to purchase some potatoes. I would stand in the queue (in line) rehearsing 'Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes' in my head. When the shop/store assistant asked me what I wanted, I would always answer "Onions" (because I could say words beginning with the letter 'O'). But, I suppose it had its advantages - we had the finest onion soup in the area. I'm not surprised, I took home onions so often ;-) I fully appreciate that the advent of supermarket has made things much easier for persons who stutter. But, I feel that they have also increased avoidance strategies. Today, my mindset is such that I take every opportunity to speak to people - shop assistants, total strangers etc. But, that was not always the case and I fully understand why many PWS lean upon avoidances to help them. I did it for most of my life. I recall you telling me you identified with the sentiments that I expressed in my poem 'Changing the Words Around' when it first appeared online in 2005: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad7/papers/badmington7/badmington17.html Thank you for taking the time to contribute to the threaded discussion. It is greatly appreciated. Kindest regards Alan