Unlike many others, I wasn't born with any form of Speech Impediment (stammering). It was just a habit I emulated as a child.
While in Primary school, my best friend was a chronic stammerer and back then as a child, I always fancied it like it was a special way of talking.
The Early Experience
So, I started doing it intentionally. It was fun at first, because my friend was more comfortable talking to me if I stammered back at her.
I took this bad habit home and I remember my parents always cautioned me but I didn't care much.
When the whole problem started was at some point when I wanted to talk normal, I'd still stammer. Only then did I realize that while trying to be a "copycat" I've lost my words. Or should I say I lost my voice?
It became so bad that if I wanted to make a statement, I'd have to jump up to force the word out of my mouth. I always had these words in my heart but I couldn't voice them out. Quite a pitiful condition I was in.
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The Bitter Experience
It was hard for me to greet anyone because the words wouldn't come out and most times I get punished for not greeting. So, most times I would start practicing before the person gets close to me so I'll be able to force out the greeting.
It wasn't easy being a stammerer because life in Secondary School wasn't fun at all. I had just few friends that were willing to listen to me while talking. I liked playing a lot but most of the time I was usually quiet. Most teachers considered me to be a very quiet girl. They even chose me to write the list of noise makers, little did they know that my quietness was as a result of Speech Impediment.
The Encounter
On a certain Wednesday, the English Teacher, Mrs Ufuoma walked into the classroom and requested that someone should come out and read an English passage to the whole class. Nobody responded and then she looked at me,(fully aware that I'm a chronic stammerer) smiled and said my dear come out and read. Jesus! OMG! Did she just call me out? I felt my heart beating faster and I heard other students giggling. There and then I concluded within that I must not embarrass myself.
The Breakthrough
I went to her, took the textbook but the problem started…..I was seeing the words but I couldn't read them out. My heart was reading but my mouth refused to let the words out. I heard her say…. My dear you can start we're waiting.
I summoned courage and because I didn't want to jump, I shouted the first word! I didn't stop there, I kept shouting all the words and that was it! I was reading out loud! When I was done, she commended me for being very "audible" and asked that I should be applauded by the class.
After class that day, she called me aside and told me she was proud of my reading skills and as from that day, I would be the one reading the Literature textbook to the whole class.
There and then, I became determined because I didn't want to disappoint her because she's the only one that had ever encouraged me by saying she was proud of my reading abilities.
For every other class Mrs Ufuoma had after that day, I read out the English passage to the whole class while shouting which she described as being Audible.
And yes! I'd shout even when talking to the person next to me just to avoid stammering. Back home the new development of shouting didn't go down well with everyone but they still preferred it to having to listen to me stammer about everything!
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As I grew, I tried controlling myself from shouting to being "Audible" as Mrs Ufuoma would say.
Now, I'm such an eloquent speaker you'd never guess I once had speech impediment.
Mrs Ufuoma, wherever you are, I'm really grateful to you ma!
And a special thanks to myself for not giving up on myself…
Written by Maryann Precious.
Maryann Precious is a student under the Faculty of Management Science. As a speaker, she's a religious Activist. And as a writer, she writes as a hobby. IG: @pre_shy_ous TWITTER: Mhizpreciouz9 mhizpreciouz@gmail.com
Personal Development: The encounter that made me an eloquent/audible speaker
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