The telephone: bane of a stutterer's existence. Some people think it's a joke, or that avoiding talking on the phone is silly. In fact, it's anything but. I was raised by my grandmother. When I was 15, I found her unresponsive. When I called for an ambulance, I couldn't speak. The operator thought it was a prank call and hung up on me. Three different times. By the time the EMTs arrived, it was too late. These things are no joke. Stuttering can have serious real-world consequences. I'm 52 now, and I refuse to speak on the telephone to this day. On a side note, the invention of texting was an absolute miracle. My family and friends know to text me, and never to call me. 🙂 Anyway...relate to us, please, how you cope with the other bane of a stutterer's existence...the dreaded drive-thru. Thanks for another great video. Keep 'em coming!
As a stuttering teen myself, this is literally my biggest fear. One day I just thought about this, and since then I have actively been working to overcome my stutter, and it has paid off. Thank you sir.
I am very sorry that you experienced such terrible ignorance. That just made me speechless. I really hope you found a way to somehow get over this! I was born SGA and I have always been the tiniest and I couldn't yell, or speak louder. I couldn't call anybody for example (I never stuttered), I just had a very quiet voice. My teacher made fun of me every day. Until I stopped participating. That was the end of school for me. I can imagine what it must hurt like when you can't control your speech and you're being made fun of.. I trained my voice for years and years. Today I am a singer. Singing can also ease stuttering. It's good to sing anyway!
@@miadelmoro2558 Eventually, I came to understand that what happened to my grandmother wasn't my fault. In fact, she was probably already gone when I found her, before I ever attempted that phone call, and long before the paramedics arrived. Anyway, the incident occurred in 1983. That was a long time ago. I'm 54 now, and I still stutter. It's become just part of who I am. And athough it thoroughly derailed my life's trajectory, I am content. The amazing part is, I wouldn't change a thing. Because this is what I love about stutterers: that even though all of us have suffered, most of us have or will overcome. Our stutters make us stronger, smarter, more empathetic, more receptive, more understanding, more creative, and more thoughtful people. We become (sometimes great) actors, writers, poets, dancers and singers not despite the things we've been through, but BECAUSE of them. Caterpillars and butterflies are we. Eggs and omelets. Flames and phoenixes. If only the beauty of it could be seen by looking forward instead of backwards. 🙂
@@roy1701d I know that many people, who made very sad experiences wouldn't change the past if they could. I personally used to say the same. But after struggling with mental problems for all my life, I realize that I became very tired of living. Sometimes it's just like waiting for death. It's a different type of problem. I don't understand why people treat each other so brutally, I just don't get it. How stupid must someone be to believe things like " stutterers are less intelligent" and stuff like this. I know how those comments can knock you off your feet sometimes..I am very glad for you that you made peace with yourself! That's a great, amazing achievement and proves a lot of work on your self confidence. I am very glad for you. Chapeau!!
@@miadelmoro2558 Although I have grown comfortable with myself, living with a stutter has been a lifelong challenge. I've been denied promotions twice because of it ("People won't take you seriously"; "You'll reflect poorly on the company"). I've been fired because of it ("If you can't repeat instructions back to me, you clearly don't understand the job"). I've even been arrested because of it (the cop thought my answers were "slurred" and possibly "evasive"). And just last month, I was put on work probation because of it ("Pulling words out of you is too difficult"). People remain ignorant. But I remain undeterred. A decade or so ago, I realized that the problem is not with me; the problem is with those who neither understand nor appreciate our experiences. I wrote a well-received book about growing up with a stutter ("Nerds of Anarchy", available on Amazon) that shares some of the things we endure as stuttering kids, the idea being to bring attention to our daily struggles. Because I believe that, short of a cure, our best option is to educate and enlighten the misinformed people who surround us. Peace be with you! 🙂
I can't express how appreciative I am for you doing this. I stuttered my whole life up and til around 4 years ago and it's now much better. I don't know how it got better except I would say it's due to having really amazing teachers and how much they have encouraged me over the years. But now that my stuttering has cleared I still don't feel confident speaking about it because 25 years or so of not speaking has affected my self esteem and personality. But you've given me the confidence to speak about it. I may starting speaking on RUclips about it.
wow that is amazing! You should definitely start speaking on youtube about it it's a really comforting feeling and I really enjoy connecting with everyone and starting a mini community :) and yes I also hate the sound of my voice on the phone haha
@@lifewithastutter6974 hey thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I've finally uploaded a short series on stuttering ruclips.net/p/PLNqbOqYFkL1BLbVqk9TH6sJFI9GSZb0fq Please let me know what you think about it
You are truly a wonderful human being . I have the greatest respect for you. Please continue with your videos The world does not know the day to day struggle. With this condition. I too have lived a life time. With this. Very brave lady. The greatest respect to you. So brave.
I usually talk smoothly on the phone when I change my pitch voice and speech pattern. Like some movie character. It is similar to singing. I advice you to try it. And also when you are older it will get better when you just let it go and when you just don't give a f... .
Hi! I’m 18 and I stutter too, I completely relate with all of your videos, I’m still working on my confidence, but something that really helps me it’s talking openly about my stutter, it’s SO DAMN HARD but believe me, it helps a lot. By the way, do you introduce your stutter to new people? That could be a topic for a video
Life With a Stutter ok just so you know, things get better!! I still struggle with my stutter at 21 but with age there comes so much confidence and just apathy towards something like a speech problem!! Just letting you know bc I was wrecked with anxiety when I was your age and I saw how you mentioned confidence issues so just so you know, things get wayyyy better :)
Tania Chowdhury thank you so much for saying that! I do struggle with a ton of anxiety issues so the fact that it got better for you makes me feel much more optimistic about the future!
The telephone: bane of a stutterer's existence. Some people think it's a joke, or that avoiding talking on the phone is silly. In fact, it's anything but.
I was raised by my grandmother. When I was 15, I found her unresponsive. When I called for an ambulance, I couldn't speak. The operator thought it was a prank call and hung up on me. Three different times. By the time the EMTs arrived, it was too late. These things are no joke. Stuttering can have serious real-world consequences. I'm 52 now, and I refuse to speak on the telephone to this day. On a side note, the invention of texting was an absolute miracle. My family and friends know to text me, and never to call me. 🙂
Anyway...relate to us, please, how you cope with the other bane of a stutterer's existence...the dreaded drive-thru.
Thanks for another great video. Keep 'em coming!
As a stuttering teen myself, this is literally my biggest fear. One day I just thought about this, and since then I have actively been working to overcome my stutter, and it has paid off. Thank you sir.
I am very sorry that you experienced such terrible ignorance. That just made me speechless. I really hope you found a way to somehow get over this!
I was born SGA and I have always been the tiniest and I couldn't yell, or speak louder. I couldn't call anybody for example (I never stuttered), I just had a very quiet voice. My teacher made fun of me every day. Until I stopped participating. That was the end of school for me. I can imagine what it must hurt like when you can't control your speech and you're being made fun of.. I trained my voice for years and years. Today I am a singer. Singing can also ease stuttering. It's good to sing anyway!
@@miadelmoro2558 Eventually, I came to understand that what happened to my grandmother wasn't my fault. In fact, she was probably already gone when I found her, before I ever attempted that phone call, and long before the paramedics arrived.
Anyway, the incident occurred in 1983. That was a long time ago. I'm 54 now, and I still stutter. It's become just part of who I am. And athough it thoroughly derailed my life's trajectory, I am content.
The amazing part is, I wouldn't change a thing. Because this is what I love about stutterers: that even though all of us have suffered, most of us have or will overcome. Our stutters make us stronger, smarter, more empathetic, more receptive, more understanding, more creative, and more thoughtful people. We become (sometimes great) actors, writers, poets, dancers and singers not despite the things we've been through, but BECAUSE of them.
Caterpillars and butterflies are we. Eggs and omelets. Flames and phoenixes. If only the beauty of it could be seen by looking forward instead of backwards. 🙂
@@roy1701d I know that many people, who made very sad experiences wouldn't change the past if they could. I personally used to say the same. But after struggling with mental problems for all my life, I realize that I became very tired of living. Sometimes it's just like waiting for death. It's a different type of problem. I don't understand why people treat each other so brutally, I just don't get it. How stupid must someone be to believe things like " stutterers are less intelligent" and stuff like this. I know how those comments can knock you off your feet sometimes..I am very glad for you that you made peace with yourself! That's a great, amazing achievement and proves a lot of work on your self confidence. I am very glad for you. Chapeau!!
@@miadelmoro2558 Although I have grown comfortable with myself, living with a stutter has been a lifelong challenge. I've been denied promotions twice because of it ("People won't take you seriously"; "You'll reflect poorly on the company"). I've been fired because of it ("If you can't repeat instructions back to me, you clearly don't understand the job"). I've even been arrested because of it (the cop thought my answers were "slurred" and possibly "evasive"). And just last month, I was put on work probation because of it ("Pulling words out of you is too difficult"). People remain ignorant. But I remain undeterred. A decade or so ago, I realized that the problem is not with me; the problem is with those who neither understand nor appreciate our experiences. I wrote a well-received book about growing up with a stutter ("Nerds of Anarchy", available on Amazon) that shares some of the things we endure as stuttering kids, the idea being to bring attention to our daily struggles. Because I believe that, short of a cure, our best option is to educate and enlighten the misinformed people who surround us. Peace be with you! 🙂
I can't express how appreciative I am for you doing this.
I stuttered my whole life up and til around 4 years ago and it's now much better. I don't know how it got better except I would say it's due to having really amazing teachers and how much they have encouraged me over the years.
But now that my stuttering has cleared I still don't feel confident speaking about it because 25 years or so of not speaking has affected my self esteem and personality.
But you've given me the confidence to speak about it. I may starting speaking on RUclips about it.
Btw speaking on the phone is absolutely horrible. I hate the sound of my voice.
wow that is amazing! You should definitely start speaking on youtube about it it's a really comforting feeling and I really enjoy connecting with everyone and starting a mini community :) and yes I also hate the sound of my voice on the phone haha
@@lifewithastutter6974 hey thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I've finally uploaded a short series on stuttering
ruclips.net/p/PLNqbOqYFkL1BLbVqk9TH6sJFI9GSZb0fq
Please let me know what you think about it
I watched some videos! Thank you so much for speaking up about this :) I'm so happy that you've decided to officially join this community
@@lifewithastutter6974 it was really difficult. So I only feel even more indebted to you for your work on RUclips.
And thanks for the warm welcome!
Strangely you are helping me with my English, i m watching all your videos and i can understand very well when you speak. Thanks!
I admire your confidence you are an inspiration thank you! By the way I’m also a stutterer...
Your so beautiful! You should just be yourself and never feel upset about your stutter as it’s unique and since everyone is unique, it’s normal!
You are truly a wonderful human being . I have the greatest respect for you. Please continue with your videos The world does not know the day to day struggle. With this condition. I too have lived a life time. With this. Very brave lady. The greatest respect to you. So brave.
thank you for sharing i listened to every second of it, and learning from you cuz i stutter too ❤️
The worst thing ever , my phone is on silent mode all the time , if I even hear him ringing I get anxious
I usually talk smoothly on the phone when I change my pitch voice and speech pattern. Like some movie character. It is similar to singing.
I advice you to try it.
And also when you are older it will get better when you just let it go and when you just don't give a f... .
Hi! I’m 18 and I stutter too, I completely relate with all of your videos, I’m still working on my confidence, but something that really helps me it’s talking openly about my stutter, it’s SO DAMN HARD but believe me, it helps a lot. By the way, do you introduce your stutter to new people? That could be a topic for a video
Thank you for the suggestion and support! I will definitely try that and I will add your question to the list :)
Lucky I am that 800th sub
Any updates after a couple years?
How do people react when you are in school
Do you stutter when you order your food?
posting a video about that tomorrow at 12pm PST!
Well if I worked with you I wouldn't mind talking on the phone -- at least both should say "Over."
Get an amatuer radio license it's a lot of fun.
Fighting
Do a live stream
How old are you??
I’m about to turn 16 :)
Life With a Stutter ok just so you know, things get better!! I still struggle with my stutter at 21 but with age there comes so much confidence and just apathy towards something like a speech problem!! Just letting you know bc I was wrecked with anxiety when I was your age and I saw how you mentioned confidence issues so just so you know, things get wayyyy better :)
Tania Chowdhury thank you so much for saying that! I do struggle with a ton of anxiety issues so the fact that it got better for you makes me feel much more optimistic about the future!