My nine year old daughter has a fairly severe speech block. It can be extremely tough for her at times, and even though she keeps her speech frustrations from ruining her moments, they still can sneak up and devastate an otherwise wonderful day for her. She is an extrovert as well, yet her spirit is not broken. I hope she always looks at life through her amazing kaleidoscope of joy and possibilities that I have never seemed to possess. When we are playing at the park with her older sister, (who can speak very well and with great articulation) she still tells me, “Dad, I am going to go over to those kids and make friends” As a natural introvert my whole life, I hope my amazing little girl never loses that fantastic spirit for life. Your poem makes me sad. When I think of my little girl growing up still dealing with her speech troubles, your poem is what I think of as her worst case scenario. I hope you can find some way, no matter how lightly, to look at life in a better light. I do not know you or what you have been through in your life, so I am not judging anything you are saying, but it seems like you have given up. Your poem is was wonderful, and it gave me a perspective on this that I have never had before. Thank you.