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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 10/6/03
Time: 3:33:26 PM
Remote Name: 12.237.88.139
Hi Christina,
What you say is absolutely true. HOWEVER... a lot of the time it's a whole lot easier said than done. I'm an overt stutterer and have TONS of practice advertising my stuttering over the years. Heck, I even give talks to people about it. So, yes, it really is easy for ME. At the other end of the spectrum are the covert stutterers who have a TERRIBLE time with advertising. Terrible to the point of virtual impossibility at times. They don't stutter (audibly) very much anyway, and they're majorly frightened that they'll talk about stuttering - and then not stutter! How awful! I'm being a fraud (...they think). I've seen one girl get up her courage to go talk to her teacher, and be all set to do it... up until the very last minute... and then she simply can NOT do it. This has happened over and over and over. It's a simple thing to say, "Just talk about it, you'll feel better, yada, yada, yada..." but it's an entirely different experience to actually DO IT.
Sometimes the most ardent critics are people who have done it, and do it easily. They just don't understand - or have forgotten - how awfully difficult it can be.
I finally understood it by relating to my fear of snakes. "Just walk over there and pick him up. He won't hurt you." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? NO WAY, JOSE!! I'D DIE!!! See, I can relate! <smile>
Thanks for your comments, Christina! I hope you're enjoying this great conference!
Good luck!
Russ