When I was younger my stutter hurt me a lot. I often asked myself 'Why do I stutter?'I hated it. I did anything to hide it. A lot of shame! But when I get older I learn to deal with it. Learn to accept it. Had therapy through the years which helped. For me it was important learning to live with it. Now I go more and more outside my comfort zone. And you know what? .... It doesn't kill me when I stutter outside my comfort zone, lol. And okay, sometimes it also upset me, but that's okay. I'm not mad at myself when that happens. And if people look a little strange when I block... it's okay. People smile, people lift an eyebrow. But it don't bother me anymore. I don't know what happens to my feelings if people laugh in a mean way if I stutter, it didn't happen the last years. My stutter made me who I am. It also learned me things, which I'm happy with. For a long time I find my stutter dumb. But now I don't see it that way, it isn't dumb. It is my way of talking and it's okay.