MySpace Outgrows Initial Expectations

By Joan Warner

       If you haven’t visited the Stuttering Foundation’s MySpace page recently, hurry to http://groups.myspace.com/stutteringfoundation and see what is new.
       Managed by our friend, Eva Woolwine, the space has grown leaps and bounds in just a short time and now claims 144 members.
       Originally conceived to interest teens and young adults by providing idea exchange and support, we have all been amazed at the level of participation by so many people.
       “We aren’t just hearing from teens and young adults, and that has been a great thing,” Eva tells us. “People of all ages are checking in. Each of us may be in a different place as far as our fluency and how open we are about are stuttering, but we have a strong bond that connects. Thanks to all the members, without them it would just be a page and not a group!!!”
       One of the initial goals was to provide insight, awareness, and education to those who do not stutter. Those who stutter generally agree that it is nearly impossible to adequately explain to a fluent person the difficulty and depth of emotion involved.
       A common description shared by many who stutter is “exhaustion.”  One member recently posted, “Most people live day by day, but stutterers live word by word.”   So, if you are a parent, relative, teacher, classmate, employer, or even a stranger who spoke with a stutterer today, please take a few minutes to take a look into what is being said by those who so want to be heard.
       Speaking of being heard, another update on our incredibly busy and goal-oriented Eva is in order.  She is still studying hard at Northwestern State University in Alva, Oka. and working toward her degree in elementary education.
       In early February she competed in the Miss Northwestern pageant, where a 2nd runner up place earned Eva “…a great experience and a nice scholarship!”  Eva has also recently qualified in preliminaries for Miss Kansas and will return to the pageant this summer as Miss Emerald City.
       Eva is just one of many real people you will meet on SFA’s MySpace.
       Whether you are a person who stutters or not, you will see we are all much the same:  people with dreams, goals, accomplishments; someone’s friend, mother, or brother; someone waiting to be heard, someone’s hero. Come check us out!