Speak!
I never thought I would be so anxious to have my voice heard. If I could change only one thing about my cerebral palsy, it would be the affect it has on my speech. Many people find it difficult to understand what I say upon first meeting me. When I was mainstreamed as a student beginning in eighth grade, I dreaded the thought of being called on in class or having to speak to a teacher. My employment search after college was constantly thwarted by employers scared off by my speech. The possibility of meeting a woman is dampened for the same reason. Even if someone understands the initial “Hey, how are ya?” the doubts, questions, and, depending on the situation, even fears, can often be seen in their eyes. The realization that people were likely to respond to me in that manner has only made me more reluctant to speak at times, especially in uncomfortable situations when my own nervousness makes my speech worse. My love of writing began long before I started to realize how m