Hello everyone, Buenos dias/tardes a todos!!!!... ..

The Bilingual Open House passed by too quickly if you ask me. With the help of everyone involved, we had a great venue, comfortable accommodations, festive decorations, great food and refrescos (thanks Rosario!), an extensive brochure table, and above all else great guests. Before I knew it, it was 3 o'clock and it was time to pack up.

The purpose of the Open House was to do some personal outreach, face to face, to show people how personal and enriching involvement in the NSA can be. We wanted to share information about stuttering to help dispel some of the myths and to empower through education, and to share personal experiences with people who may not have had the opportunity to share with fellow PWS. Another equally important purpose was to do this in Spanish, as needed, to accommodate and include populations that might not otherwise be included.

Over the 3 hour event, we had 19 in attendance! Some were PWS (Tony from the San Jose Chapter came up- thanks Tony), some were people with disabilities, and some were parents/friends/ loved ones. A very brave and sweet 10 year old girl and her grandmother and father attended and this was the first time she had ever met someone who stuttered! Imagine attending an NSA Open House as your first experience with PWS! That would have moved mountains for me at that age. From the reactions of the 3 of them, I think they walked away with a greater sense of insight and inspiration. I don't think she was too bored with us boring adults. The discussions were a collaborative effort among all present. We used a clip from the video Transcending Stuttering to show the most common difficulties among PWS. NSA members shared topics that were most dear to them, like self esteem, how we're perceived by fluent types, surpassing the stutter in terms of life/career goals, therapy/insurance. We also talked about benefits of joining the NSA and upcoming events like the International Stuttering Awareness Day on Oct.22 (ISAD) and the Teen Open House in S.F. (TWST kick-off Josh?) on Oct. 17. Parents/friends/ loved ones asked questions and it was great to educate those who were interested.      

Toward the end of the event, while wrapping up, I couldn't help think about how much I've changed in the past 3 years. Before, I was as covert as one can get. I let the shame weigh down on me and it showed through my speech and confidence (lack of). I didn't want to talk to anyone about stuttering, as if they didn't already know I did! But through some self-initiated change, 3 great therapists at the Cal-State East Bay Clinic, and my NSA family, I feel I've turned 180 degrees. Though I still stutter, I can breathe now, and it feels great.

Thanks,
Mike Garcia