The Stutterer's Account

My name is Cody Hall, and this is my story. It’s said that life is the sum of many parts, and none of only one factor, but the choices we make along the way to make our circumstances our strength. All of us face our own battles that gives life meaning in ways that many people wouldn’t expect, a gift that gives us something to give back to the world: A story of overcoming overwhelming adversity in the face of hopelessness. In this, stories are the fabric of inspiration and all that we do in life, in the ways we idolize stories, leaders, or philanthropists with charities who rally people to support the uplifting of others. The reason for this is because leadership is built on empathy. Crowds stand to attention when someone speaks through their actions, and listen because it resonates with their own battles, inspiring them to push forward to a brighter future It’s simply all dependent on how you use your circumstances to your favor, that leads others to know that they can do the same. In the spirit of the recognition of stutterers like me, and stutterers alike or even just wanting to hear our story to know the battles we face, I present to you my own testimony in hopes of that, to inspire every reader who would hear it.

Every person has a character inside them that wants to be seen, yet not knowing how to reveal itself in its raw form to the public without fearing rejection. In this way, we are all actors, in that we rehearse our lines to repeat premeditatively, a script that carries us like a dance to show only what we want the public to see. Stutterers suffer primarily in this way, in that what many people choose to hide, stuttering forces us to fight to be able to have their voice heard, like a prison that forces words to be ransomed for. It can create an identity early on in their childhood, all in an age when we’re still dreaming of a future in a making all of our own, where most people would never assume that their voice would be a struggle when they speak. In this way, stuttering can take away the dignity of an individual in a way that feels like being trapped within ourselves, loneliness always resulting from the fact that almost none would understand the helplessness that it creates. To many, they accept this condition, and many stutterers live their lives expecting circumstances to always remain difficult, simply because there are few who would understand that battle. But herein I tell you that we are not defined by our past, nor what we deem to be an obstacle. We are so much more than our voice, only what we become from it, and as I present my testimony to you today, I write to you today to tell you that there is hope for every one of us. What our past creates is what teaches us to overcome.

It’s easy for stutterers to believe that they would never be equal to others by the nature of the struggle that stuttering creates, and for children who suffer from it, maintaining dignity is one of the hardest battles. Oftentimes it creates confusion, frustration, and pride to be able to claim your word like staking a claim on our voice. However, despite all the pain that it can cause early in life, I realized the vital lesson that has followed me ever since: Stutterers are taught the ability to listen. Listening is a lost art in a world where information flies by in an instant, that many never absorb or learn from their surroundings, but rather glance at it without a care. For stutterers, the anticipation of speaking creates the innate ability to be able to see things others don’t, and allows us to connect with people unlike many could. So, despite the struggle that can seem so great for the many of us, this anticipation creates a great empathy, allowing us to be connect to people like no other, and therefore becomes our gift. The idea of leadership is built on connection, understanding the struggles that many others suffer through, and presenting a story of inspiration becomes an ironic strength. In this, you’re able to disconnect from your voice and embrace what it benefits you. However, the only way to unlock this gift is to accept that potential in you. Focus on the rain for too long, and forgetfulness comes of the spring behind you. Stuttering with confidence makes life a shining beacon of hope, because even without us choosing to, we’ve learned to fight on to a brighter future. This is our gift, and for every one of us, our success through any obstacle in life first comes in believing in ourselves.

To anyone who has seen The King’s Speech, many would remember the following lines, beginning with the man who helped King George through his stammer, “You just told me you didn't want it. Why should I waste my time listening to you?”, in which King George, responded in a booming voice, “Because I have a voice!” This movie, more so that scene, lived with me ever since I watched it at its premiere, those words carrying me through the rest of my years. It never occurred to me before that even kings could face difficulties like mine, and in that moment, a part of my heart woke up to the world in front of me. This life is built on the stories we tell, and stutterers write their story by the path they walk, writing its tale in their heart until they’re given the moment to bring it forward to a world starving for hope. No matter who we are, there is a story waiting in every one of us that the world is waiting to hear. For all the years we’ve spent believing that we’re too weak, the fighter inside us chose to keep moving forward, and to recognize that creates a leader. You have a voice, and if we can overcome circumstances such as these, then we can overcome anything. We are never alone in a world where hope only comes so often, so let the world know your story to inspire them. Go bravely into the unknown, and see the world with eyes wide open, a voice shouting from the mountaintop that we’re still here, and you’ll find yourself changing the world from even one act of inspiration. You are more than your voice, because you’re still fighting on, so keep on keeping on and shine your way forward. Life is worth the risk.