I have a stutter...

I have a stutter. I’ve had it my whole life.

When I was younger, I figured out that singing uses a different part of the brain and that I did not stutter when I sang. Hence where my love for music started. So I used to run around and sing everything because I couldn’t talk without stuttering.

What exactly is stuttering?

It is a speech disorder involving frequent problems with the usual fluency and flow of speech.

Unfortunately, I grew up with parents that did not necessarily believe in therapy. I had to figure it out and find my own way of coping.

I still have a stutter today. I have learned many coping mechanisms that work for me. So now you only see it when I get nervous, excited, or mad. I also have to choose my words carefully because certain sounds and syllables automatically make me stutter.

My family laughed at me.

I was bullied, harassed, and humiliated.

I got into A LOT of fights.

I was hit in the back of the head and told to “spit it out” when I got stuck.

I even failed speech class in college because my professor refused to believe that I had a stuttering problem. After all, it was not “documented.”

Why am I telling you all of this? I hope that by letting you get a glimpse into my life… you see that…

1. whoever is reading this realizes that no one is perfect and that we all have flaws

2. Do not be discouraged because you are different. I have been on countless speaking engagements in magazines, TV shows, and news interviews…. Just being who I am… Stutter included.

3. God made you exactly how you are, and you are amazing. You are loved and don’t ever second-guess yourself.

I was taught to “hide” my stutter… but today… if it decides to show up, I let it stand out because it’s a part of me, and it makes me who I am, and I’m proud of that.