Choked by Consonants
I freeze, afraid.
It's happening again. Not now. Not here. I'm trying to make my point about accessibility. Why is that word so hard? I know what it looks like. I know what it sounds like. But the consonants choke me, tripping me up.
Holes tear my words apart, letters unravelling like thread. I fetch my needle, quickly. I sew my syllables back together, before the stammer can rip my words any further. Soon, it is mended, back in one piece. I sigh, carrying on the meeting, glad this new colleague didn't laugh.
I hope the seam doesn't split again.
- Category: True Stories Told As Fiction
8 comments add one below
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VerityAlways over 2 years ago
One step at a time Sarah, you will do better. Neville suggested wonderful stuff, take the leap!
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VerityAlways over 2 years ago
All the stare, eye rolls and coughs are just to intimidate you. If you choke, only you know how to weave, just continue, they will listen.
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Sarah Oakes over 2 years ago
Thank you. I know I should try to be more patient/kind to myself. But it frustrates me sometimes as its something so simple and everyone else seems to do this talking thing fine without stammers and shaking. It's not all the time, thank Odin, but it comes up every now and then and throws me and makes everything worse confidence wise.
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Neville Hunt over 2 years ago
You know the saying Sarah, ‘less is more’... we’ll the same applies in speech. For the greatest impact, make them wait! Take your time to say the difficult words... and pauses are gold dust! You won’t know the brilliant US comedian Jack Benny, but just watch him on YouTube for his pauses. When they have to wait for what you’re about to say (and you alone are the owner of what YOU say), you have their hearts as well as their ears! And if anyone interrupts you, ask them firmly “Will you let me finish, please?”
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Neville Hunt over 2 years ago
...and I bet playing the clarinet doesn’t bother you the same way🥴
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Sarah Oakes over 2 years ago
I will have a look at that you raise some good points. The clarinet doesn't bother me as much as I know what I'm doing have been doing it for so long that my only issue is when the impossible to see sheet music comes around. Also music doesn't require as much talking, as it's more listening so I'm better at it than I am speaking.
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Neville Hunt over 2 years ago
I am sure that will improve with practice (like the clarinet!) and a bit of time. It did for me.(not the clarinet though!)
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Neville Hunt over 2 years ago
...and another thing... I play golf... badly... I still play though... and I find that the more I think about how I am going to play my strokes, the worse they are. I hit some wonderful drives when I just do it (as Nike say!). No thought, I just take the plunge... just a thought...maybe don't think too much about it?
