We hit 1000 subscribers. Let's go around the circle and introduce ourselves.

We hit 1000 subscribers. Let's go around the circle and introduce ourselves. Don't you hate this shit? I know I do. I think most people do because they're immediately met with an existential crisis. 3 facts about me? Who am I? Is this real life? Even more so, I feel like people who stutter dread it even worse because God forbid you stutter on your name and people are looking at you like, "Is he having a seizure?" And then for the rest of the semester you're pigeonholed as "that guy who stutters" and people are almost more hesitant and nervous to talk to you than you are to them. You know, finishing your sentences. Looking away when you stutter. I've had some people feel so bad for me that they've gotten teary-eyed. But maybe it's just me? All self-loathing aside, I'll start it off. Where better to than here? I know I'm in good company. Hi, my name is Chris. I'm 22, from PA and my story is a little different. I didn't always stutter. I was born with a cleft palate, and during middle school, transitioning into a new environment, I developed a stutter. New kid, ethnic, with a speech impediment? Yea it was hell. Supposedly, my uncle stuttered. I haven't looked too much into that, but the fact is I began stuttering then and it's definitely impacted me negatively. I became socially withdrawn and virtually mute. It wasn't until recent years actually when I began opening up more with the help of speech therapy — for my stutter in this case, not cleft palate stuff — and really just fed up with being isolated. I stopped going to speech therapy (2 years) because I feel like I learned all I could. Yeah fluency in the clinician's room is great, but the moment you walk out the door, you're your own speech therapist. And the challenge here is not only achieving fluency, but achieving fluency while accepting the fact that you stutter and being okay with it. And not beating yourself up for those moments of stuttering that feel like an eternity. It's almost paradoxical in a way? There have been times where I tried denying the fact I stuttered. Times where I figured one day I'd wake up and it'd go away. But I'm at a point where I know it's something I need to embrace, and with the support and understanding of other people who stutter, I know this could be mutually beneficial. Am I saying let's be friends with benefits? Hell yeah I am. Your turn.