health
A moment that changed me: My stammer made life a misery
As a teenager, I was so ashamed of my speech disability that even my family didn’t know about it. When Scatman John came on the radio, celebrating his own stammer in a hit about self-esteem, I knew I had to meet him
TL;DR
- The author hid a stammer for years, avoiding speech and social situations due to shame and fear.
- Scatman John's hit song 'Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)' and its message of self-esteem for stammerers was a pivotal moment.
- The author connected with Scatman John, who offered encouragement and support in accepting his stammer.
- This relationship helped the author dismantle the belief that stammering was a defect and embrace it as a part of themselves.
- The author now openly stammers and advocates for others, inspired by Scatman John's legacy.