Success - long time coming

[MarkB]

When I was in grade school, I don't think stuttering bothered me too much. Around the sixth or seventh grade - and puberty - I really shut it down in school. Any time I talked in public like that I would be guaranteed to stutter badly, so I just never raised my hand. My grades were bad, I didn't go to college, and I got jobs that didn't involve much talking.

When I was in my thirties, I had a girlfriend who was in medical school, and I think that inspired me to start taking college classes. By that age - 35 - I was more confident, and I raised my hand and entered class discussions all the time. I still stuttered, but I generally had that kind of near-fluency, with pauses and minor, passing blocks that don't really stand out. I took a philosophy class that required a five minute presentation, and I don't mind saying mine was one of the best. I ended up going to graduate school, where there are a lot of discussion groups in classes, and I talked all the time in lab meetings and even did hour long presentations of my work to the department each year.

I'm 55 now. I'll stutter until the day I die, but in many situations, I'm sufficiently fluent that my stuttering is trivial to me. Doing telemarketing for a living would be tough still, but during the summer, I lead hour-long local history tours for 10-15 people, and while I do actually stutter through the talk, it always passes quickly, and people always enjoy the talk and thank me with big smiles.

So my success is not from therapy - I stopped therapy about 45 years ago. My success is just from living long enough. I didn't to anything, I just outlasted the worst of it. Woody Allen said success is 80% just showing up. For me, success has been 100% just getting old.

[bebop]

I think we all have some fault or problem that we are supposed to carry through life. Some more apparent and some although seemingly harmless on the outside, are equally devastating on the inside.

In the earlier years of our life, the lack of understanding and the inexperienced mind tends to consider these a "burden". But in time, that "burden" will be seen as something positive. One meaning to life could be recognizing and acknowledging these "burdens". To overcome isn't that important.

I'm slowly seeing it but at 18, I need a few more decades to witness the bigger picture.

Thanks for your story. It must've been very different growing up when scientific advancement and knowledge was just starting to boom. It must've not been very accomendating back then.

[Southpaw]

Congrats on the success. I think my grandfather who stuttered probably has a similar story. His stutter was so minimal and he talked so much. I doubt most people even knew anything about it.

[MarkB]

bebop

In the early 1960s, speech therapy consisted of sitting in a tiny room with a nice lady, reading and repeating words. I remember having a little notebook of words, but I have no idea what the point of it was. Looking back at it, there was never any chance that it would do me any good.

[ritzbhogal delnaz]

Originally Posted by MarkB

When I was in grade school, I don't think stuttering bothered me too much. Around the sixth or seventh grade - and puberty - I really shut it down in school. Any time I talked in public like that I would be guaranteed to stutter badly, so I just never raised my hand. My grades were bad, I didn't go to college, and I got jobs that didn't involve much talking.

When I was in my thirties, I had a girlfriend who was in medical school, and I think that inspired me to start taking college classes. By that age - 35 - I was more confident, and I raised my hand and entered class discussions all the time. I still stuttered, but I generally had that kind of near-fluency, with pauses and minor, passing blocks that don't really stand out. I took a philosophy class that required a five minute presentation, and I don't mind saying mine was one of the best. I ended up going to graduate school, where there are a lot of discussion groups in classes, and I talked all the time in lab meetings and even did hour long presentations of my work to the department each year.

I'm 55 now. I'll stutter until the day I die, but in many situations, I'm sufficiently fluent that my stuttering is trivial to me. Doing telemarketing for a living would be tough still, but during the summer, I lead hour-long local history tours for 10-15 people, and while I do actually stutter through the talk, it always passes quickly, and people always enjoy the talk and thank me with big smiles.

So my success is not from therapy - I stopped therapy about 45 years ago. My success is just from living long enough. I didn't to anything, I just outlasted the worst of it. Woody Allen said success is 80% just showing up. For me, success has been 100% just getting old.

Really very good story about your success in communication skills. This story show your confidence. I am also appreciated it.

[bebop]

Do robots have emotions? Not to distract from this thread but I am quite curious now.