James’ Story

Let me begin by saying that I am a person who stutters, but despite this I still continue to pursue my dreams in the medical field. All throughout grade school and high school I’ve been bullied for my stutter. The teasing was demeaning and just made me want to curl up in a ball and hide. That was when I found my passion for writing. Writing for me isn’t a chore, its freedom and a way to express myself fully.

My dream as of now is to go into the medical field, and become a Physical Therapist. I’ve completed a full year of college and I’m understanding the “college experience” both in a good and bad way. The good being I’m gaining new friends and actually becoming more sociable (gasp). The bad being that sometimes some teachers don’t want to help you succeed, and I found that out the hard way. I’m developing more confidence in myself, which is helping me engage more and not worry about stuttering. However this fear is still present and for many if us, that fear can stay with us for what feels like a lifetime by. But even this we can overcome.

If you have any further questions or you want to get into contact with me, please don’t hesitate to email me. My email address is jamesphiliprichmond@gmail.com

Cheers,
James

17 thoughts on “James’ Story”

  1. Hi James. On my article ‘cadel’ (that is, ‘rhotacism’ in Indonesian), a commenter (Hafidh) asked me about stuttering. He has trouble dealing with consonants that come right after a period. Ever heard of that? Thanks.
    (I have rhotacism, but do not stammer)

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      1. He can talk normally (as long as it’s not too fast). But whenever a period (or some mandatory pause) is followed by a consonant, the stuttering happens. I’ve never heard anything like that before either. But thanks for the reply anyway. Cheers!

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  2. I appreciate your ‘never give up’ spirit. It’s how I live my life and hopefully someone has been inspired. I still have an occasional stutter due to a stroke, however, I do not permit it to become a factor in how I live or speak. I’ve worked hard to regain my pre-stroke speech pattern and am almost there. Keep writing and inspiring others, you rock!

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    1. Thank you very much nolimitsguru! That’s simply awe inspiting you have inspired me! Thank you I will continue writing, I’ve been starting to blog but its still weird seeing yourself stutter on camera, but I’m getting a little used to it now. Kopp up with writing, its a lifelong joy 🙂

      Cheers,
      James

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  3. Hi James, Mark Nolan here at http://Nolsie.com. I have nominated you for a WordPress Very Inspiring Blog Award. I admire what you do and how you carry a positive outlook on everything you do. I stutter as well but over the decades it has faded into just an inconvenience and generally doesn’t get in the way, although it can be unpredictable. I hope being nominated encourages you to continue blogging! Regards Mark Nolan

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    1. Awesome! Thank you very much for the “Very Inspiring Blog Award” I really appreciate it! thank you for visiting our blog Mr. Nolan and yes, we will continue on our positive outlook on stuttering.

      Sincere Thanks,
      James Richmond

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  4. Never when younger but now older. I find the occasional stutter, when my mouth can’t catch up to my brain. My Great-Uncle who lived with us until he died. Had such a pronounced stammer, that he would never talk. Except when he was angry then it would come out full flood. He scared the bejaysus out of me. “Cause the only time I heard him talking was when he was mad. What I did, would scare him, Imagine a lively six-year old? He was a soldier in WW1 and had been gassed. Which caused him to cough. He also smoked a pipe. Don’t know which really caused the cough? When he rolled home from the pub at night. I would hear him coughing in the room below.

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    1. Wow thank you for the story! That’s incredible that you got to meet and talk with your great uncle who also fought in WWI. The Chlorine gas that both sides used did cause asphexia in some cases. My great great great grandfather was shell-shocked in WWI but he only developed a lisp. Thank you for sharing your story 🙂

      – James

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      1. Hi James,
        We share a given name – James.

        I go by Jamie and have since my Mom called me so. I was born in late 1940’s. Growing up there were plenty of vets, from WW1 around. Often found near working men’s clubs in England. Frequently identified, by the use of a white silk scarf and dark three piece suit.

        Every man in those days, wore a wool 3 piece when working. Even labourers. Then in 1960’s, a 2 piece became more common. Charlie’s brother was killed in Boer war. Charlie always lived with my Grandmother. Due to Charlie’s health and stutter he led a sheltered life, coming home from France. In turn my Dad and Mom lived with her, until Granny’s death.

        The only times I ever heard him speak was when he exploded with “The boy …” or “That boy …” Later I learned he was a gentle soul, who was terrified something would happen to me. He was usually charged with baby-sitting my sister and me. He would just sit reading, smoking his pipe. Until “Quick, the boy …” , rang out.

        Cheers, Jamie.

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        1. Hi Jamie how are you doing today? Thank you very much for your story, I wish I got to know more of my family from WWII, but at least I can still here their stories through my grandparents. Lovely stuff mate!

          – James

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  5. I never had a stutter, but used to defend a fellow classmate that stuttered by saying “Stutters stutter because their brain is going so fast that their mouths cannot keep up. What does that say about the rest of us?” It usually took the bullies a few days to figure out that they had been called slow, but after a few times being belittled left my classmate alone. God gives us all crosses to bear and it is the way we choose to bear them that speaks the most about us. Keep after your dream.

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  6. James, how is stuttering different from stammering? I have a friend who stammers and is just not able to speak at all sometimes. Was there a different learning pattern? Is there a different reason for the two speech patterns?

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