the first time I could not believe my eyes!!

[amey]

Most stutterers can go their whole life and never run into another stutterer. The only stutterers that are in the public eye, who stutter openly, are usually characters in a movie that are nervous or mentally challenged.

A HUGE turning point for me in my stuttering life was when I met a CONFIDENT stutterer. I literally did not know what I was seeing. I couldnt understand how a person could stutter and be dignified. In my mind, the 2 could NEVER be paired.

I learned from that person and used her a model. She was incredible! Standing there, direct eye contact, and taking AS MUCH time as she needed to say EXACTLT what she wanted to say. NO APOLOGIES! --It changed my life and for that I am grateful.

I wish that other stutterers had access to people like that. Being able to see what is possible.--

[ForvrKate]

I agree. If people have never seen a confident stutterer before they should go to the NSA conference this year in cleveland.. there will be a handful of them there.

[jaissal]

I have never met another stutterer on the street, so i don't know what its like. But i have been to one of the BSA conferences. One of my friends in school years a go had a slight impediment, but i didn't notice it that much. I thought i was a confident stammerer, but looks like this person you met is more confident than me :P I wish i could just go up to people and talk to them like that without hesitating. But i believe i can do it!!!

[amey]

I have never met another stutterer on the street, so i don't know what its like. But i have been to one of the BSA conferences. One of my friends in school years a go had a slight impediment, but i didn't notice it that much. I thought i was a confident stammerer, but looks like this person you met is more confident than me :P I wish i could just go up to people and talk to them like that without hesitating. But i believe i can do it!!!

YOu know, the hesitation may be there, but the point is to DO IT. DO it no matter how you are feeling inside. Conquering that fear. Doing what you DONT want to do. Slay that beast! he he!--- I believe you can do it, too! I KNOW you can do it.--If I can , you can. We really are no different. best of luck!

[howeee]

I have met many stutterers. One that really made an impression on me, like the woman you met, was in Moscow Russia. I spent some time in Russia in the early 80's. I never was able to learn fluent Russian , I think my stutter made it difficult. Anyway I lived with a Russian freind, and her good friend next door neighbor had a boy friend who stuttered. He stuttered a lot and I could observe his stutter even though I didnt understand Russian. His speech always moved foward even though he stuttered on at least every other word. My freind who spoke english cause I taught her, told me no one hardly noticed his stutter cause he seemed not to be phased at all by it. He had lotsa freinds, always spoke up at partys and was very talkative.

He made a big impression on me.

[dream431ca]

I'm pretty confident myself. I don't stutter as bad as I used to and sometimes I hardly stutter, but that doesn't happen very often. Confidence comes in many forms. For me it's music.

[jaissal]

YOu know, the hesitation may be there, but the point is to DO IT. DO it no matter how you are feeling inside. Conquering that fear. Doing what you DONT want to do. Slay that beast! he he!--- I believe you can do it, too! I KNOW you can do it.--If I can , you can. We really are no different. best of luck!
You are right about the hesitation, but once that has passed and i have approached someone, its great after that. My closest friend, she says "confidence is y' well this was when i was about to kiss this girl im seeing for the 1st time. But still applies to anything. smile and be confident!!

Nothing is Impossible.

[Markyboy]

During High school, there were at least 15-20 stutters in my group sessions, maybe even more since most left because it was embarrassing to get dragged out of class for speech therapy. I knew about 5 of them pretty well, and all of us stuttered out in the open, for the most part. There are many, i still meet some around the city, but in college i haven't met one so far. Guess it depends on where you live, I'm in San Francisco. Seems to be a fairly high population of us around here.