‘I enjoy making presentations to large audiences’ (article in August 2012 newsletter of The Indian Stammering Association)
My volunteer work on behalf of people who stutter is largely in the past; my current volunteer work focuses on my local community.
By way of example, I’m currently writing a series of blog posts related to the life and times of Colonel Samuel Smith, who built a log cabin in 1797 in what is now a school field located within a one-minute walk from my front door in Long Branch (in Toronto, not New Jersey). Aside from the broad outline of his career, little is known about the colonel. For that reason, one of my current projects involves situating him within the recent historiography of the British empire.
However, getting back to the topic of stuttering — in which I have of necessity had a strong interest since I was six years old — once in a while I write articles, such as a recent one (pp. 9 – 10) in the Ninth Edition (August 5, 2012) of “Samvad,” the newsletter of The Indian Stammering Association (TISA):
I hope that you will enjoy reading the articles in this newsletter.
I am delighted that Harish Usgaonker, editor of Samvad for The Indian Stammering Association (TISA), contacted me via Facebook to write the article from Canada that is included in the August 2012 edition.
The Interent is a great way for us to share information, and to learn from each other’s experiences, wherever on the planet we may happen to be living.
In Canada, with the Canadian Stuttering Association and other endeavours, a new generation has taken over leadership of volunteer work on behalf of people who stutter.
I follow with interest the work that is now under way in social media in projects such as Stutter Social, where people who stutter from around the world can engage in video conversations online. I wish each person visiting this page every success in her or his own work to share information and increase understanding on topics of mutual interest.
Thanks a lot Jaan for sharing your story with us. Both of us have very similar stories, I must say. I am JP, the current coordinator of TISA.
I’m pleased to have the opportunity to share my story; I am delighted to know there are similarities in our stories, Jai. I find it so interesting to learn what other people are doing in enabling people who stutter to compare notes and learn from each other’s experiences. I wish you every success in your role as coordinator of TISA. I am very impressed with the work that the association is doing.