My commitment to speaking about stuttering is opening so many new doors
By Alan Badmington

Alan Badmington.

I recently took on a new challenge as the compere/master-of-ceremonies at a St David's Day charity concert in South Wales. It was organised by the Ebbw Vale Rotary Club, in aid of a local hospice. During the past two years, the event has been hosted by well-known personalities from radio and television.

As well as welcoming the audience, introducing the artists, and keeping things flowing throughout the evening, I told an array of jokes and recited several of my poems and limericks. With 20 minutes in the second half to entertain the audience, I took the opportunity to disclose my stuttering history, using several humorous anecdotes to illustrate some of the specific problems I have encountered. Humour can be a useful tool with which to convey an important message.

After the show, I was approached by many people who expressed a genuine interest in stuttering. One was a former police colleague who recalled the immense difficulties that I experienced during my career. Several mentioned that they know someone who stutters.

It was a thoroughly memorable evening. The self-confidence that I have gained from constantly placing myself in challenging speaking situations in recent years, allowed me to deal with the many unscheduled happenings that occurred.

The previous day, I presented a 75 minutes miscellany (of my own poetry, short stories and abbreviated speeches) to a group of professional and business persons. I concluded with a rendering of Dr Martin Luther King Junior's famous speech, 'I have a dream'. It never fails to provide a rousing finale. I first visited this organisation in 2003, as part of my extensive programme of talks about stuttering. I was invited to return the following year, when I gave a presentation about the differences between American and British English. There are now plans for me to speak to them again next year.

I have long advocated the need to create a greater public awareness about stuttering. How can we expect others to understand what is happening, or know how to react when we suddenly block or display secondary behaviours? In many instances, even members of our own families have little knowledge about the difficulties that we experience.

That was the main reason I embarked upon a series of talks to community organisations in 2002. I also saw it as a means of expanding my comfort zones, but I could never have envisaged the extent to which my speaking engagements would escalate. This year, I have over 20 talks arranged, while my diary for 2007 already contains several entries.

I earnestly believe that the lives of many people who stutter can be significantly improved if more of us are prepared to speak publicly about the subject. It really is to our mutual benefit. However, I fully appreciate that the very nature of stuttering is such that some may well feel reluctant, or unable, to discuss it with others.

Greater openness about my life-long problem has proved invaluable in helping me to overcome previous embarrassment. Revealing my 'darkest secret', to all and sundry, has greatly helped the desensitization process.

I hope that some of you may be tempted to do the same.

From the Summer 2006 edition of Speaking Out, page 8

See also: Accustomed as I am... by Alan Badmington, which includes links to further articles by him.