At the age of 41, I still stutter (口吃) . I am fine with it now but that wasn't always the 1 . It wasn't too difficult for the first couple of years of school. In fact, I don't recall being 2 at all, though there was a great deal of curiosity about my 3 speech.
A few years later, I began to dislike being different. I felt that I 4 for all the wrong reasons. Just 5 the pain of not even being able to say your own name, I would often give 6 names when meeting new people, because it was easier. It was 7 for me to be Jason or Mike, Chris or Kevin or just whatever sounds I was confident I could make at that particular moment.
Sometime in eighth grade, my 8 changed. I turned what I'd always thought of as a negative into a positive. I finally 9 that difference and ran with it. 10 waiting in fear for the teacher to 11 my name, I raised my hand when I knew the answer to a question. I always volunteered to read and even used oral presentations as an opportunity to show my comedic talents, I went from a stuttering kid who seldom spoke a word to a stuttering man who now speaks for a (n) 12 . Self-acceptance continues to be essential in the success I've experienced as a speaker, comedian, writer and soldier. My only 13 is that it didn't happen sooner.
It's never easy to be a kid. It's especially 14 when you're different, but it doesn't have to be The time to accept your 15 is now.
