Last night in Brooklyn, 15 of us gathered to ring in 2014. We had three first timers (welcome Eric, Jonathan and Lucila)! The meeting kicked off when Deshawn asked if we had any “stuttering” New Years resolutions. Michael responded with a goal of standing up for himself when people are being rude in conversation or seem to misunderstand what stuttering is. Stavros and Eric volunteered to do a role play of a phone call with a rude insurance agent…it was ultimately ill-fated but will not be our last 😉
After a spirited discussion of the different ways to advocate for ourselves, we all agreed that talking about stuttering in those situations usually leads them in a more positive and friendly direction.
Then Rivky showed up, bringing a profound discussion with her, per usual. We talked about how being brave and pushing ourseves doesn’t always “pay off” in the ways we want it to. Sometimes things (and phone calls) don’t work out, and we’re left wanting to retreat back into our comfort zone….Eric made a good point that being brave means dealing with the results, even if they don’t make us feel good, and still feeling proud of what we’ve done so we can keep pushing ourselves.
After making a few phone calls as a group to practice advertising and stuttering openly on the phone, a few of us heading across the street to Brooklyn Tavern for a light discussion of how technology is changing our species.