My name is Jesse. I am 31 years old and have regularly stuttered to some degree since I was in 5th grade. I have had peaks and valleys. Stretches where I speak great and have little issues (such as a lot of 8th grade) and stretches where it is just outright hell for me (5th grade for example). I have had a job for over 2 years now where I dispatch tow trucks and deal with customers on the phone and drivers on the phone/radio. I stutter while I do it sometimes but I have had more success at it than I ever thought I could. Stuttering has a been a block for me in life in many ways and in many degrees. It has stopped me from trying to get some jobs, talk to some people, even has made me alter what food I'm going to eat at a restaurant because I can say one menu item with easy and the one I want is difficult. I'd have to say the most difficult aspect has been getting people to understand what it is like. To know what you want to say but you just cannot say it. I've had speech therapy here and there at times, but none since mid-High School. It isn't too bad for the most part with people I'm comfortable with, but with those I don't know it can crop its ugly head up again. I'm proud of myself for having a job where I answer the phone and talk to unknown people, but I also hate it. The job itself is stressful enough but this adds to it. Low point was somebody calling in who said they wanted to talk to somebody normal when I stuttered a little bit. For the most part people are understanding or seem to understand but like others have said, there are still people who just assume I am unintelligent. I am at the point where I have accepted it happens but I still wish I would wake up one day and it would be gone. That or I wish I had the power to make other people stutter for a day just so they could experience it and understand just how much it sucks to live with every day of our lives.