5 Things I’d Like All the Sweet People in My Life to Know About My Stutter
As someone who stutters, sometimes I start to worry. Do people understand? Do I come across as highly introverted and even uninterested because I’m so reserved most of the time? Do people know that I really do care, that I love them, that I love talking to them? All these thoughts flood my mind whenever I’m in any kind of social situation, whether it’s with close friends and family or with less familiar acquaintances. On the toughest days, when my stutter is a relentless opponent in this battle to speak and I start retreating into silence, there are a few things I just long to tell that person standing in front of me.
1. If we’re having a conversation one day and I let you do most of the talking, please know it’s never because I’m uninterested. I love talking to you. In fact, I could talk with you all day. However, the truth is that stuttering can be downright exhausting for me sometimes. I might just be having a really rough day with my speech, and on those especially tiring days, I would rather listen to what you have to say. But I will always try my absolute best to add something in whenever I can.
2. If you ask me a direct question, and it seems like I’m avoiding it by giving a vague answer, please know I don’t mean to ignore you. Now, this one is extremely specific, but I felt that I needed to include it because it’s a constant struggle for me. Can I be totally honest with you? Sometimes the stutter has been so powerful and so overwhelming that I have resorted to desperate measures just to somehow answer the question, whether it makes sense or not. This might look like pretending to forget the name of the drink I ordered when a friend asks me or even “forgetting” the name of my online schooling program because the words are just too difficult to say. This might look like beating around the bush until the tension subsides enough for me to answer you. That is the honest truth. When you ask me something, it might take awhile before you get the answer to your question, but I promise I will always try.
3. If I ever seem distant or removed from a social situation, please know it never has anything to do with you. Even if I seem really quiet, odds are, I’m as happy as can be on the inside because I’m with you! It’s normally never because I’m sad, or anything else. It might just be that my stutter is giving me enough trouble that day that I just prefer to sit back and quietly take the world in. I have many days like that, and those days teach me so much.
4. If I do a terrible job at initiating conversations with you, please know I’m trying to do better. It’s never because I don’t want to talk to you… because I really do! I have always struggled with initiating conversation. For some odd reason, it’s much harder for me than just jumping into a conversation that’s already started. Asking questions is especially difficult. Through the years, I have made slow progress in this area, but I have a long way to go. I believe I’ll get there someday with God’s help.
5. Most of all, please know I care. One of my deepest concerns is that people won’t know how much they really mean to me and how much I love them. After all, communication is the most basic aspect of human interaction. It’s how we share our hearts and lives with others. It’s how we connect as fellow human beings traveling through this same life together. Life revolves around communication. Please know I’m thankful to have you in my life. I have been so abundantly blessed with family and friends. Sometimes I can’t express my heart the way I want to with my words, but I can still express it with actions… and I hope and pray that I have.
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