Susan Moody from Chicago, IL blogs about her and her 21-year old covert son Phillip's experiences at the conference, their first!
“ I like your ssssparkly toes!” The young blonde girl said as she zoomed past me at the conference.
“Thank you!” I yelled to the back of her as she continued on.
Later I had a chance to meet and bond with Olivia, who told me that she is 9 years old, stutters and was there with her dad.
“Do you stutter?” she asked.
“No, my son does.” I replied.
“How old is he?” Olivia continued.
“21.” I said.
Twenty-one and this was Phillip's first conference, unlike Olivia, who at 9 has attended for several years, which left me wishing that I knew such an organization existed when he was younger.
Being introduced to the National Stuttering Association at an early age, will hopefully buffer Olivia from the devastating anxiety, shame, fear, solitude and depression that so many stutterers have within them.
Did you know that there are over 2 million adult stutterers in the U.S. alone?
I sure didn’t.
So with only 600 people, encompassing the stutterers and their families/support people, attending this year’s conference...that says that we MUST get the “word out”.
lets shout Click here for her full blog
Behnaz Abolmaali, from University of Texas graduate.
Behnaz writes, “It was a special time for me to attend my first NSA conference, to meet and network with nearly 500 other people from around the country who stutter, and to gain new insights about myself and the current period in my life.
It is difficult to put in words the sense of community and friendship each of us felt at this year’s conference. To me, it is telling of how powerful the experience of stuttering is.”
Behnaz’ own website highlights a very concise, thoughtful and complete overview of the NSA conference. Click here for her full blog.
FROM D’Nell Rynd July 13, 2009
Hello-
I was at the convention and I am trying to join the yahoo group. My name is D'nell Rynd and I have a 10 year old boy who stutters- This was a life changing event for us. I cannot tell you how wonderful this past weekend was for our family. I am emotionally exhausted but also feeling elated for my son.
Ya'll did such an amazing job with this convention! My head is spinning with everything I experienced. I just kind of sat back and took everything in.
I am also hoping to see if a kids group might be starting here in Phoenix.
Again- What a awesome 3 days it was for us. Ya'll should be so proud- everyone I met was so kind and generous. In particular a sweet girl named Erica came running after us into the parking lot with wrist bands just so we could get into the pool on Thursday night. I am forever grateful to the NSA for allowing my son to feel that he is not alone.
Thank you again for everything-
D'nell Rynd
FROM Teresa Daniel July 13, 2009
Just wanted to thank you for everything you did to make our family's
experience at this year's conference so wonderful. It was extremely
beneficial for everyone in our family, especially J.D. We are looking
forward to many more annual conferences.
Thanks!
Teresa Daniel
FROM Stacey Fitzenrider
CONVENTION REFLECTIONS:
After a few years of missing NSA conventions, it was great to come "home". Home to where 600+ people understand, care and "get it". For those of you who know me well, you know I wear my emotions and my stuttering on my sleeve. Both are hard to hide and that is just how I am. During the convention, I was sharing with my husband, Andy, some stories I had heard and of people I had met. The tears came fast and furious, but I assured him they weren't sad tears. They were proud tears. Tears for being able to witness the bravery and the utmost love and respect you see and feel at a convention. There really are no words to describe it.
Our five year old daughter, Ava, came with us. She does not stutter. We have been very open and honest about our own personal struggles with stuttering. She has learned patience and compassion at a very early age.
We prepared her that she was about to meet more people like Mom and Dad. She was ready. She made us proud. Thank you for making her feel so welcome. Thank you for making her an even better listener.
We asked her what she thought about the kids and teens getting up there for closing ceremony. She commented that everyone was brave...like Luke ... Read MoreSkywalker! Which was funny she said that. Because, the theme this was year was the sunny side of stuttering. No Dark Side allowed!
One of my favorite parts of the convention is the Open Mike Sessions. Sometimes I just go to listen and sometimes I'll actually get up and do it. A few people heard this story during my open mike this time, but I'd like to share it again. My friend at work is very supportive of me. We talk a lot about stuttering. Ever so often, she'll remind me that everyone has a cross to bear. Mine just happens to be right out there, front and center. She calls me her "hero". I'm hoping she has more than one hero.
I'm hoping she has more than one hero. However, I have her beat. I have 600+ heroes...ALL OF YOU.
Thank you for being part of this special time. Thank you to all who support your friends, spouses, siblings, parents and loved ones who just happen to stutter. Thank you for the much needed booster shot of hope and support.
Until next year....May the Force be with you... (that was added by Ava!)
With love and stuttering support,
Stacey Fitzenrider/Seattle
FROM Bobby July 14, 2009
Hi everyone:
I just wanted to thank everyone at the NSA Conference this year for being so nice to my wife (Lynnetta) and myself as this was our first NSA Conference ever. While I'm at it, I also need to give a great big THANK YOU to Jim McClure and Tammy Flores for getting me a scholarship so I could go the conference (I'm on Social Security Disability so money is extremely tight).
Lynnetta had me look up "shopping centers" on web for Scottsdale prior to us going as she planned on spending her time looking through the various stores (we've been saving since February when Tammy told me about the scholarship) . But it seems the `best laid plans of mice and men' (or wives) got shot down after Thursday when Lynnetta made a couple of new friends in the guise of Linda Hallen and Bonnie Weis. After that she didn't want to leave the hotel for much of anything.
We attended quite a few of the workshops together and we were both surprised at how "open" everyone was to talking with complete strangers. Lynnetta talks to people everyday in her job (Employment Specialist for a Federal Halfway House….Diersen Charities) so she is used to it, me on the other hand, are not use to it. Since my first major heart attack in 2005 and becoming unemployed, I've talked to less and less people everyday. Right now I probably average about 5 people a week (all neighbors) that I talk to/with, Lynnetta keeps telling me that I've reverted back to my teenage years when I seldom talked with anyone. We estimated that I talked with more people in 4 days at the conference than I've talked to in a year at home.
I've already been told that we need to start saving money so we can attend the Cleveland conference next year without imposing on the NSA for assistance. Hopefully we can manage it, but if not, attending this one was a LIFE CHANGING experience and I have all of you to thank for that.
A public THANK YOU again to Jim and Tammy for their help in attending the conference, and a public THANK YOU to all of you for helping make our first conference a memorable one.
Bobby
FROM Vicki Schutter
This conference was different. I don't know what it was, but it felt truly more like one big family than it has in a long time. I talked to other people who told me they felt the same way. Doug Scott told me it felt like the NSA had "finally found it." I especially liked the closing, where all age group were included, rather than just the kids. Of course, I love the kids, too, but we oldsters like to think the NSA is for us, too, and this year's closing included us and made us feel appreciated. Thanks, NSA!
Vicki
FROM Steve Kaufman, NY
Hello all my NSA teammates,
It's now 10:46 p.m. and after crossing three time zones back home to Long Island, I can say firmly entrenched that I am head-over-heels in love with everything about the National Stuttering Association.
For a few days not only did we laugh and cry together, but we came to embrace the tremendous radiance that envelops us all, from big city to small town. Not only was it awesome that we hit 600 teammates in attendance, but the number of first-timers is increasing every year. Sure, Scottsdale was hot, but the NSA brought some heat....and then some! You see it everywhere, the voices are getting louder, our heartbeat is getting stronger.... the desire to start chapters is pulsating. This is OUR time.....and we are going to make it last forever. After the last hug took place and the tears started to flow, the countdown to Cleveland starts, and the NSA will rock!!!
I had the honor of speaking at the last open mike of the conference, and I'm going to sum up how I feel about the NSA with a nod to Taylor Swift: "The NSA is my princess, this is my love story, and I am so glad I said yes!"
To all my teammates, I love you so much.
Steven Kaufman
NSA Long Island Chapter Leader (along with chapter leader and teammate Lori Melnitsky)
CONVENTION REFLECTIONS:
Hello all my NSA teammates,