Letter: How it feels to have a stutter

Most people don’t have one, which I’m sure they are happy about. They can talk without the fear and embarrassment of people judging them. One person in my life, who is very important to me, says there are worse stutters than mine. I agree, but when you try to say that one sentence or that one word, it feels like you do have the worst one. 

When people talk to me about it, like family and friends, they comfort me and tell me it’s OK. I know they are being kind and caring, like they always are, but most of them really don’t know what it’s like to have a stutter.

The way I feel about my stutter is not being able to talk. Talking, as everyone knows, is a big part of life. Booking and ordering things, communicating with people, doing presentations, etc., is very difficult for me. The feeling of when you get stuck on a word in front of a lot of people is the worst feeling in the world. Imagine getting stuck on most of the words or sentences in a presentation or just having a conversation with your friend.

There are ways to work on it to make it better, but you need to take time out of your day to practise speaking exercises and to do practice conversations. Doing all of the exercises and practice is almost like learning how to speak again. Every day I hope that my stutter will go away someday, but everyone who has one needs the confidence and strength to get through that rough patch of your life and move forward.

Thanks for reading my article about my feelings of what it’s like to have a stutter and how hard it is to get through life with speaking issues. The next time you talk to someone with a stutter, remember to be patient and supportive of them.

Some days I still do get frustrated with it because it just gets in the way of me trying to live my life. However, I do get through it and live my life to the fullest. 

Regan Scott, age 14
St. John’s