ipl-logo

Stuttering: What Does It Mean To Be A Stutterer?

645 Words3 Pages

As Stephen Nachmanovitch said, “The harder we press on a violin string, the less we can feel it. The louder we play, the less we hear….If I “try” to play, I fail; if I race, I trip. The only road to strength is vulnerability.” A few years ago writing this essay would have been impossible because of my shame and deep fear I felt about being a stutterer. I am fortunate to have a truly loving family and I have been given every chance to flourish. So why was the simple act of speaking accompanied by the fear of stuttering – speaking in class, talking to a stranger, ordering food, or even uttering my own name? Why did it feel like some consonants were the Dracula of language and the silence between them endless? I don’t know. What I do know – and what I have grappled with over the past several years – is that I was not alone in this struggle. Stuttering can be crippling and it can touch anyone. Over time, I understood that having a stutter isn’t something to conceal, but rather embrace. I was ashamed of being a stutterer, but as I came to …show more content…

It is not an end, but rather a continuation of my journey. If my writing at VBI can help one person feel accepted and a bit less lonely, if it motivates one person to unmute without fear of ridicule, if it puts one person on a redemptive path from shame to self-acceptance, then it is worthy. I’ve been told my ability to confidently deliver a speech, to challenge my opponent in debate, and to approach people with poise has inspired others to venture out into unchartered territory. And I’m ready to venture into new territory, too. My stuttering has inspired my dream of pursuing interdisciplinary studies to help change how we interact with the world with our

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Judith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense Against Abortion

    1094 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thomson provides the argument that in a situation where another person’s life may outweigh your own, then you are left to no avail. (Thomson 4). This defends the statement that since all violinists are people, then they cannot disband and

    Read More

  • National Stutter Association Mission Statement

    689 Words  | 3 Pages

    A review of the National Stuttering Association has been conducted using the official website for the association. The National Stuttering Association (NSA) was founded in 1977 by Bob Goldman and Michael Sugarman ("About the NSA", 2014, para. 10). The NSA is the accumulation of 125 local chapters nationwide. It used to be called the National Stuttering Project and the main focus was community outreach. Efforts for stuttering awareness were made through technology: public service announcements, local newspaper advertisements, and local radio and television appearances.

    Read More

  • Summary Of On Stuttering By Edward Hoagland

    284 Words  | 2 Pages

    “On Stuttering” by Edward Hoagland This personal piece written by Edward Hoagland reflects on his past experiences of living with a stutter. It’s significant that the way Hoagland writes is so complex yet precise and to the point. As he explains, having a stutter is like, “trying to run with loops of rope around your feet”(153). Yet his word choice and sentence structure contradicts that and he is clearly able to explain his point. I also enjoyed his metaphor in comparison to football in paragraph 4.

    Read More

  • What Is The Theme Of Speech Sounds By Octavia Butler

    800 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the story “Speech Sounds” written by Octavia Butler an illness has taken over the world in which people are unable to speak. The main character Rye is a college English professor that is traveling to Pasanda to visit some of her relatives that have survived the terrible illness. After the bus gets stopped due to a fight, she meets another main character named Obsidian whom she becomes friends with and chooses to travel the rest of the way with instead of waiting on the train. The two characters have two major challenges, one being that Rye can speak and understand communication while Obsidian cannot understand verbal communication at all. Rye was challenged by not knowing how to communicate with Obsidian without using words.

    Read More

  • Bird By Bird Analysis

    1308 Words  | 6 Pages

    After I finish I am to this conclusion, writing is like life in which aim to accomplish our task through all the chaos in our mind by approaching everything with an open mindset. With such openness nothing will change our destination instead our experiences will only encourage and remind us how valuable each lessons and how paying attention to everything will pay off at the end. Once you reach the destination filing with surge of excitement and relief because you made it to

    Read More

  • The Five Pillars Of The National Junior Honor Society

    1012 Words  | 5 Pages

    My effort and participation have increased, and my commitment to academics has improved. With this sense of scholarship, I can continue into

    Read More

  • The Stuttering Foundation Summary

    80 Words  | 1 Pages

    Other thing is that, Hayley S. Arnold, Ph.D. Purdue University mentioned in her article (2009) on "The Stuttering Foundation" website that while she was doing doctoral work at Vanderbilt University, she measured emotions using a special device on the behaviors produced by nine children who stutter and other nine children who don’t stutter. She analyzed behaviors; the children who stutter were less skilled at emotion arrangement. She found that the children who stutter using fewer emotion arrangement strategies stuttered

    Read More

  • Ct201 Week 1 Reflection

    414 Words  | 2 Pages

    No longer do I see the purpose of my research to only be to provide ways to enhance learning outcomes. I feel that my personal purpose now includes a mission that is to preserve and document the stories and experiences of our era. This excites me as my field has become much more useful to a wider audience, as even out of date research becomes valuable as it is preserved to give insight into the historical

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: Paws Adoption

    576 Words  | 3 Pages

    Now I want to show the world what I can do! Communication has become my passion. Communication will be my

    Read More

  • Human Service Skills Essay

    609 Words  | 3 Pages

    I was a very shy and timid kid, growing up and because I couldn’t speak as well as others, I was bullied. My words used to come out all jumbled when I talked fast. “Good verbal skills take practice. It involves how we talk – fast or slow?” (Kinsella91)

    Read More

  • Jackie Robinson Obstacles Analysis

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    I may have been starting to doubt myself a little less since discovering that I was good at academics but I was not yet done with my commitment. I've still many more talents to discover but I can now start to see that beam of light, fighting to break out from behind those dark clouds of

    Read More

  • Teaching Assistant Personal Statement Sample

    459 Words  | 2 Pages

    I have overcome difficult challenges in my pursuit of education. I fell behind on my credits, which was the hardest situation to pull myself up from. I caught up and past my colleagues. I am more than ready to further expand my education beyond graduating high school. I am striving to make myself rise above the rest.

    Read More

  • My Journey To Becoming A Writer

    845 Words  | 4 Pages

    Towards becoming a writer -------------------------------- I promised myself that I will learn a new skill this year. I resolve to learn how to write with purpose.

    Read More

  • Playing The Violin Research Paper

    181 Words  | 1 Pages

    I have been a part of the orchestra since the fourth grade. From learning to play the violin, I have gained much more than just learning how to play the instrument. Playing the violin has taught me the importance of patience, and perfection. Firstly, playing the violin taught me that patience is necessary in learning anything. I did not learn certain skills such as vibrato in one lesson.

    Read More

  • Communication Disorders And Their Negative Effects On Children

    556 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depending on how the other characters in the show portray the individual with the disorder, the audience may view the speaker as uneducated or illiterate; however, some movies or television shows may bring a positive outlook and provide motivation for the person with the condition. For example, in the movie, The King’s Speech, the main character had a stuttering problem and was seeking assistance through a Speech-Language Pathologist. The King develops a friendship with the therapist and underwent intensive speech therapy. After several sessions, he began to progress with his stuttering problem and gained confidence in his communication abilities. The other characters in the movie were encouraged by the King’s dedication and hard work, which motivated him to perform at the best of his abilities.

    Read More

More about Stuttering: What Does It Mean To Be A Stutterer?

Open Document