What a year; 2022!

So, it's been a while since I wrote something for this blog and I guess I don't really have a reason why I haven’t written anything. I've just been busy living life and trying to keep my head above water for most of it. But it’s almost the end of one of the most exciting (and probably the most challenging) years of my life and what better way to cap it off than with a list of what happened to me this year? And maybe even what I’ve learnt in the past year.

So here goes…

1. Travelling – This year, I was fortunate to travel extensively, and you could say I was making up for lost time. I got to see so many new and beautiful places, spend time exploring with friends and family, and push myself out of my stuttering comfort zone. If there's one thing that can make me feel confident, it's navigating a new city with a stutter, especially in a foreign country. There were definitely times when I struggled with my speech while traveling, but overall, I realized how resilient I am when it comes to my speech and that most people will give me the time I need.

2.   Getting into a new relationship – Over the summer, I fell in love and with someone very unexpected. I had been single for the guts of a year when I met this person and I guess you could say I was trying to learn to love myself this year with no intent of finding someone new. But I guess sometimes it just happens that way. When it came to my stutter, this person accepted it from the word go but they were also interested in how I navigate my life with a stutter. We often make little jokes about it, which has been really refreshing (in a weird way) for me. They understand my anxiety that surrounds my stuttering but they also push me to go outside of my comfort zone. They make talk about the hard things and they give me the space I need to talk. I have learned that talking is just as important as listening.

3.   Taking on a new role in my work – Just before this Summer, I was trained in on the Box Office in my current place of work, which essentially means I am responsible for selling tickets for the events that the arts centre holds, including answering the Box Office phone when it rings! The phone has always been a huge challenge to me, as I know it is for other people who stutter and I never thought I would say that I answer the phone as part of my job. I guess what I learned in this situation about my stuttering is that I can do anything I set my mind to and that I can push myself out of my comfort zone. And you can stutter and still use the phone.

4. Community is so important – This year, I was fortunate enough to meet and spend time with more people who stutter. And I was reminded of how special it is to spend time with people who are going through similar experiences. This year's conversations with people who stutter were among the most insightful I'd ever had. Listening to people who openly stutter reminded me of the beauty of stuttering voices, no matter how different they are. It was inspiring and uplifting to share my story with more members of the stuttering community and to be truly and authentically listened to. I was reminded once more that I am not alone.

                                           

5.   Keep on Keeping on – There were some negative experiences this year in addition to the positive ones related to my stuttering. I suppose the good has to come with the bad because otherwise how would you tell the difference? And, while I wish these negative experiences hadn't happened, they each reminded me of my strength and how far I've come since I was a child. These incidents reminded me that even though people can be unintentionally cruel, but how I react makes all the difference. I get to choose how I react, and I get to choose whether or not I get back up.

So there ya have it! Here’s to 2022! 

     The year where I was healed, I was hurt and I was happy, all at once!

I wish you all a wonderful New Year and if the last year wasn’t up to your standards, 2023 could be the best yet!