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From: Chris Roach
Date: 10/8/01
Time: 8:57:23 PM
Remote Name: 205.188.200.26
Jim, great story! In the minds of every covert stutterer, "better to be thought of as a tired ol' insomniac. . . who speaks fluently, than a wide-awake go-getter..who stutters like the dickens."
Seriously, you make an excellent point. As I referenced in the article, some of our tricks tend to violate social protocal or even bump the line of normal acceptability, BUT in our minds, we've convinced ourselves that even those quirky characteristics beat the label of being called a stutterer. We eventually figure out that simply stuttering openly and hopefully, with a little milder control due to the diminished interiorized fear, draws far less attention to us or subjects us to less chance for negative or hostile reaction than oddly yawning a half-dozen times.
Jim, one of my favorites was coughing, "because something's in my throat. Give me just a second...<cough>...<cough>..." When I'd start speaking again, if I'd found fluency, then I start up again. BUT, if I didn't, that darn cough kept on coming and coming...."Give me another second...<cough>...
Thanks again for a story we all can relate to. Good stuff.
Chris