Learning and growing, we're often told, are slow. Sometimes we don't see progress for weeks or months at a time. But eventually our efforts pay off in a wonderful way. Some of our group members have experienced this recently: one of them gave a talk to a group of speech pathology students for the first time. Another got a new job after going through three interviews. Another found a good way to deal with a block that kept recurring. They have a lot to be proud of and to celebrate.
Speaking of celebrating, this week is National Stuttering Awareness Week. We talked at our meeting about what this means to each of us, and what specifically we can do to educate non-stutterers about stuttering. There are brochures, buttons, bracelets and t-shirts available on the NSA website. But I liked best this idea for raising awareness: STUTTER! Make the choice to be open about your speech. Instead of thinking of it as a wall between you and other people, use stuttering as a bridge--a way to connect with others.
A long-time member of the NSA, from back when it was called the National Stuttering Project, told us about a t-shirt he's had for many years. On the back it has the logo of the NSP; on the front it goes: I'll say it my way. How's that for a definition of success: SAY IT YOUR WAY.
