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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 21 Oct 2006
Time: 22:36:25 -0500
Remote Name: 71.123.208.188
Hi Lesley, ..... Thanks for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. ..... You asked, "How has your stuttering changed since you learned to 'embrace' your stuttering and feel comfortable with it? Has it improved?" My CORE stuttering is probably about the same, but my struggles with it have all but disappeared. As a result of that and my Toastmaster experiences, my communication ability has skyrocketed and I feel very comfortable with my speech right now, stuttering and all. My stuttering is very easy and open and has become almost a non-issue in my life. I am still extremely active in the stuttering community which keeps my head on straight, but my stuttering itself is no long a major issue for me. ..... You also asked, "... do you every find yourself feeling the same way about your stuttering as you did as a child, or have you completely gone away from that mentality?" As a child my single focused concerned (as was my parents) was to "cure my stuttering." OMG, if I stuttered, I could NEVER be a success in life. Curing my stuttering was my primary goal in life. Well, duh, we were wrong! And yes, I have totally gone away from that mentality now. By accepting my stuttering and using it as a tool for good, my life has changed completely. But my attitudes certainly didn't change overnight. It's taken decades for me to get where I am today. Hopefully as an SLP who understands stuttering a LOT more than was understood in the "olden days," you can help your clients become successful in life in a LOT shorter time than it took me! ..... Thanks for reading my paper and for your kind words. ..... I wish you the best, Lesley. ..... Russ, my email is russhicks@mail.com