May 28th, 2015

Post date: Jun 5, 2015 11:19:35 AM

The E. Maine NSA Chapter met last Thursday at our usual time and place.  Four PWS attended.   Besides Chris and myself, it was great to also see Shaleen and Tom...both of whom had been unable to attend for quite some time!  We had a lot of catching up to do, and we really talked about quite a lot of topics related to stuttering and I should have kept notes!    Topics that I remember at this point were:  the changes in speech as one enters into retirement and/ or "different environments and expectations" .   This topic then expanded into cultural differences and expectations since both Shaleen and one other of our members are from India.  Chris , a university professor, is recently retired and will not have the opportunity to do as much "public speaking" as before, and this was the environment where he seems to have the most confidence and fluency.  Shaleen, also a successful university professor who teaches regularly, was told many times , when a young student, by other "supportive", Indian friends and relatives that it would be best for him to seek a career that did not require talking! 

Other news is that  apparently we  have joined those chapters that have two meetings a month!  Thanks to the initiation and motivation of Inna, who attended for the the first time last month, a spin off  "speech practice group" met for the first time last month at her house in Augusta.   Four attended and Chris reported that it was a very supportive time where each individual helped the other with a specific individual "speech goal"  which they formulated for themselves for the evening!