Seizing What Could Be
I’m standing in the hallway listening to my son tell his stories before bed. He stutters through his words to find the right ones to explain something his imagination implores him to get out in that very instant. I say “goodnight” as I thought he was done, but as often is the case, he had
In mid-January, the wonderful speech-language pathologist Dr. Ana Paula Mumy and I launched the fourth iteration of the Every Waking Moment Book Club. This running—our largest yet—used the three sessions to cover the three parts in the book, Affliction, Transcendence, and Change—along with an introduction of the key terms and topics, discussion, and lengthy question and answer sections. Over 20
In September, the ever-passionate speech-language pathologist Dr. Ana Paula Mumy and I launched the third iteration of the Every Waking Moment Book Club. This running, the three-session club was tailored to school, private, and clinical-based SLPs, and was eligible for continuing education credit. We had 20 SLPs who showed up eager to participate and dive into the
In January, the wonderful speech-language pathologist Ana Paula Mumy and I launched the first two iterations of the Every Waking Moment Book Club. We had one three-session club tailored to school-based SLPs, and another for clinical SLPs, with both eligible for continuing education credit. Each of the three two-hour sessions were based on the three parts in
“Hi, I’m looking for D…D…D…David.” “Excuse me, sir. Who did you say?” “D…Da..Da…David, please.” I was at the car dealership yesterday to buy out my lease. I didn’t hesitate when I stepped up to the receptionist to ask for David, the car salesman I was there to meet. I walked through the door and asked,
I take it for granted. I have no shame anymore. I can walk into every situation and disclose that I stutter without regard for the response. I’m not arrogant. I’m honoring the journey that it took to get here. Self-disclosure is not unique to stuttering but an invaluable skill that we must learn to attain social competency.
The ease of stuttering in front of new people is unsettling, as if it was more comfortable to do so with the expectation of someone laughing. It no longer feels like anyone will laugh or negatively react, and I don’t anticipate or expect it either. The unsettling nature comes from bracing for its impact for
Perhaps I have not read enough of the available academic research done on stuttering to date, or that which I have read has not been as accessible as Knowledge Without Action Means Nothing: Stakeholder Insights on the Behaviors that Constitute Positive Change for Adults Who Stutter conducted by Dr. Naomi Rodgers and Dr. Hope Gerlach-Houck. As I
The urgency to live life to its fullest, to do the most that we can with the time that we’re lucky enough to receive, seems more urgent to someone like myself who lives with stuttering. This is the case because as superb writer at The Atlantic John Hendrickson proclaims we who stutter live our lives on delay until we
The Well Each day takes its fillSome moreSome lessOthers, too much. Each cup starts fullThen goes down the bottomless hatchQuenchinglife and progress. When we go back to the WellTime in time againWhat remains lessensAbsorbing without refilling. The Well knowsBut the bucket doesn’t— The bucket receives less and less,The drinker only droplets until nothing. Leave the
Every Waking Moment 