In retrospect, I cannot now remember which was worse: those moments when my flow of speech was disrupted by sputtering consonants, drawn-out vowels and endless repetition, one gush of sound colliding with another, or the unintentional silences, those tongue-tied pauses when I felt unable to produce any sound at all.
Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.
Not only 50 words but all in one sentence!! Evokes empathy for the stutterer.
Mr. Thurber, you captured my own pain, or is it punishment, totally.
I know how you feel.
This is perfect. I can totally identify with it. My stammering has lessened over the years, but still manifests itself when I’m very tired or hugely stressed. My teenage years were something of a talking minefield.