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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 21 Oct 2006
Time: 23:57:27 -0500
Remote Name: 71.123.208.188
Hi Jessica, ..... Thanks for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. ..... You asked, "... do you think you are looking back at your younger years through rose colored glasses...?" That's an interesting questions, and honestly I don't know. Like my father, I do have a tendency to forget unpleasant events. (And that's a whole 'nuther story.) So yes, it is possible. But I honestly don't remember being teased or picked on much in my youth. I certainly do remember being very frustrated with my stuttering, but it was about my stuttering, not the people around me. ..... Also you asked, "...do you resent the fact that stuttering was a taboo topic when you were younger? Do you wish it was an open topic that you could have discussed with others and if so, how do you think this would have changed your life?" Wow, you know how to ask tough questions! No I don't think I resented stuttering being a taboo subject, but that's just the way it was. Nobody really knew how to treat it, so talking about it wouldn't have made that much difference - I don't think. Hmmm... I wish I had a better answer to that question than that. ..... And "Finally, do you still use the fluency shaping techniques you learned while in 'speech camp?'" No, yes, and kinda. (How's that for being wishy washy? Ha, ha, ha!) No, I really don't use them on any kind of a consistent basis. I prefer to let my stuttering just happen openly and easily. But yes, I DO know HOW to use the techniques and I CAN use them when I want. For demonstration purposes, for example, I can become virtually 100% fluent. But I can't sustain it for very long and it requires a lot of concentration that I prefer to use for other more important things. And kinda because just KNOWING that those tools are there for me to use if I want gives me a lot of confidence in speaking. It's like carrying a .38 revolver on your hip when you go outside at night. You'll probably NEVER have to use it, but it's nice to know it's there! <grin> ..... Great questions, Jessica! I wish you the very best. ..... Russ, my email is russhicks@mail.com