I know I’m late to the party and I’m just hearing this speech now, but listening to Brayden made me tear up. Stuttering has affected me my whole life, and I’m thrilled that he’s working to not let it hold him back.
#stutteringawareness
I remember being in grade 2 and hoping that I would grow out of my stutter. I remember always speaking as quickly as I could whenever I could to get out as many words as possible to make up for lost time.
I remember going to the speech pathologist in junior high and not even focusing on my stuttering, but instead doing my best to prove that I was smart. I never wanted people to judge me negatively for it so I felt like I always had to prove myself to others.
I remember working at a fast food place (Eat Fresh!) in high school and having to be really intentional about breathing before asking someone “Would you like your receipt?” so I wouldn’t screw up on the “r” noise like I did all too often.
I remember committing my valedictorian speech to memory before I gave it to a gym full of people, just to help minimize the chance of stuttering. How could anyone believe I graduated top of my class if I were to have committed such a stuttering foible?
I remember sitting in grad school seminar classes and being scared to talk so I wouldn’t stumble over my words. Always having to plan out what I would say.
And I remember literally yesterday at work being nervous to take a phone call due to years of dreading any type of formal conversation (the phone call went well, for those of you keeping score at home).
But I never remember embracing this like Brayden at such a young age. It took me years to gain some level of confidence in this realm, and in many ways this process is still ongoing.
My stutter is largely gone now, but I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit recently. How it shaped me, how it defined me. How it shaped and defined me to other people. How I wish I didn’t let that get to me.
Brayden isn’t letting his stutter define him, but he’s working to redefine what it means to have a stutter.
That’s strength and wisdom that I wish I had at his age. That’s strength and wisdom that I think any of us could wish to have now.
So although I’m a little bit late to the party in responding to Brayden’s speech, I’m 25-ish years late to the party in owning my stutter.
Thank you, Brayden.
#stutteringawareness
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