May 24th, 2021

Post date: May 25, 2021

Five of us meet up on Zoom last night for a really good update and conversation.  Megan, Shaleen, Natalie, Jeff and I checked in with each other and discussed a range of topics; many of us are fully or partially vaccinated and are getting exciting for summer gatherings.  Alas I, (Marybeth) being the "elder", was one of the first in line way back in  Jan/Feb!  SHOUT OUTS to Andy who is hiking the Appalachian Trial and to Erin who, we think, is busy birthing and mothering her second child. Hope to hear from them soon.   We were all delighted to hear that Megan has been nurturing the soul of a writer and has recently submitted a short story and a poem for a contest and publication, respectively.  We were excited to hear and read her work!  So she read her poem (we all loved it) and both her short story and poem were attached to the recap email and distribution list.  So proud of Megan and this led to discussions about bravely, taking on challenges and putting yourself out there.  We also realized that when, at last, we have reached that place where we can be comfortable with who we are and accept that we stutter, it can be a mixed bag on how our listeners and friends respond.  For example, when we give a speech/public presentation, we may not feel that is exceptional or out of ordinary for us to do, but others may offer what seems like excessive praise/support and while appreciated, it may feel a bit patronizing.  It's a fine line and remembering that and approaching it from an understanding place can be healing.  We then moved onto the topic of whether stuttering can be an advantage at work.  And we heard a resounding "YES, it can!"  We believed that stuttering can make us relatable and can disarm others that could be coming from a combative standpoint, thus opening up true compassionate dialogue and lead to an increased collaboration in the workplace resulting in better outcomes.  We also noted that stuttering can certainly make us memorable in the workplace and allow us to make an positive impact in other ways.

Finally, we all supported planning a face to face / outdoors-y get together sometime this summer.  Later in July probably and we NEED YOUR INPUT.   We discussed meeting in a park or other outdoor setting and since there are many in the State of Maine to choose from, we decided to choose a place equidistant from the farthest residents who express interest in this meet up / picnic / BBQ, etc.  In other words, send in your thoughts about whether you would be interested in meeting up.  I will locate you all on a map, draw a circle about us, and then we'll find a place (in Maine) to meet in the middle. Natalie, by default, will probably land in the middle of the circle and will help us find a good place to meet up.