Today is oral sex day. Everyone in class has already given their presentation, so I no longer have an excuse not to share my materials. I slowly raise my hand after the teacher asks me if someone else should do the speaking. As I push the chair back to stand up, my ears start to burn. My discomfort only worsens as I slowly walk down the aisle toward the waiting podium and begin to sweat on my hands and forehead. As I look up from the podium, I'm surprised by the forty pairs of unwavering eyes staring at me, waiting to be absorbed in my genius. I'm having trouble breathing, almost like I've forgotten how to do it. I wipe the sweat from my brow, grip my index cards tightly, and open my mouth to speak. But the words just don't come out because I find myself stuck. Those same forty pairs of eyes look at me in wonder. I avoid their sullen looks by looking down at my index cards, held in my excessively sweaty hands. The class is remarkably quiet, waiting for me to continue. I quickly look up and discover around forty people who are increasingly impatient. Nervously, I try to speak again, but once again I'm stuck. I make a harder effort to try to spit out the words, only to stutter. Although many are able to understand the distress involved in public speaking, the problems faced by a person who stutters are unique. The anxiety related to stuttering blocking extends beyond just public speaking and extends into the everyday world of talking on the phone and ordering fast food. The anxiety I feel in either situation is enormous. For example, if I'm preparing to make a phone call or waiting in line to order fast food, anxiety builds as I wonder if I'm going to stutter. It affects my decision making ...... middle of paper ...... and my fear of speaking, and, in addition, I have become more social and outgoing. Since I started journalism, I realized that I was doing it. I don't have to hide the fact that I have a speech impediment. On the contrary, I have learned that I feel more comfortable with my audience, especially in a classroom situation, if I let the cat out of the bag before speaking. By announcing my stuttering, I no longer feel like I'm running away or trying to hide my problems, and I find that my listeners tend to be more understanding of my disability. I have learned that self-acceptance has taken me a long way in my struggle to discover who I am. No one is perfect and everyone must be aware of their faults. But this should not stand in the way of your life goals. You must face these obstacles head on, learn to accept them, and build from your expanded understanding of yourself..