A VERY Exciting Opportunity

My whole life I felt like I had to hide my stuttering. Like if anyone knew, they would avoid me as if I had an infectious disease. It is embarrassing to talk to people and when you stutter they look at you like your stupid. Most people don't know this but stuttering is neurological NOT a social disorder. It isn't because of stress or because we can't handle the world as it is. It is a gene which they just recently discovered. Anyways...

I am a very arsty person. I love to sing, dance, and act. I also LOVE to write my own music. Now being a stutterer, I automatically think "Oh. I can't act. I stutter." Then I met Taro.

I went to a re-evaluation for my speech last month at Misericordia University. It was terrifying. I had to call random places and talk to random people and ask questions. After I got hung up on, asked "what?" like 10 times, and stuttered the most I have ever stuttered, the speech guy handed me a brochure. On the front it said Camp Our Time. After reading it for a little bit, I soon came to find that it was a summer camp for kids who stutter. My mom started researching Our Time and came to find out that they also have a theater company in NYC for teens who stutter and want to act without any pressure. They meet every Saturday from October to June. Without me knowing, my mom started emailing some of the staff who then got her in touch with the founder Taro. Taro said he wanted to meet with me. So this past Friday I went up to NYC and met with Taro.

Taro also stutters and it was amazing to hear all the stuff he did. He didn't let his stuttering define him. We talked and at the end of the meeting, he told me that he wanted me in their Saturday program! :) :)

He told me that in June, they perform on stage, with all of the stuff...like costumes, sets, and lights. This is amazing. I squealed like a little kid! This is such a great opportunity for me and all of the other teens in the world who stutter. I also just learned that over 3 million Americans stutter. That blew my mind. I use to feel alone...like no one understood me but now with this group, I can be ME and I don't have to hide my stuttering.

This theater company is pretty popular. Celebrities come out to the performances such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Sawyer, Bill Cosby, Lauren Graham, Carly Simon and many more. It is great to hear that celebrities have an interest in stuttering. I don't know who all is reading this but if you want more information you can go to www.ourtimetheater.org