September 16, 2013
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Double You (W)
Years ago, when I was in grade school, I had a classmate whose name was Eddie – short for Edward. Eddie was a little slower than the rest of us and also had a bit of a speech impediment. He would stutter when saying certain words and letters. Of course, kids being what they are, Eddie was teased a lot. This really didn’t help his confidence much, but he was placed in mainstream classes and that just came with the territory. But this really isn’t about Eddie, but about all of us. Its just that this true story about Eddie illustrates the point so well.
Columbus Elementary School, Edwardsville, Illinois
In third grade, our teacher often held class-wide spelling bees. All of the class would stand up to begin with and be given words to spell in turn, and with each failed spelling another student would sit down until the winner was the only student still standing. The student before Eddie failed to spell his word correctly, and so the word was given to Eddie. The word began with the letter “W”. “W” was a letter Eddie had great difficulty with, but Eddie knew how to spell the word, so he was excited. He started out as usual saying “Doub, doub, doub, doub, doub…” Finally he said, “I can’t say that letter!” So the teacher asked him to write it on the board. So Eddie went up to the board and began to write the first lines of the letter “W”. He stopped, and turned around with a confused look on his face and said without missing a beat nor uttering a stutter: “I forgot how to write a double you!” The class cracked up – and so did Eddie! Although I think his feelings were hurt again – he played along – because I think he was as surprised as everyone else – and now he knew that he could say the letter “W”.
The school was just a few blocks from the theatre – see Old Movie Theatre
The point is, that saying the letter “W” was something that Eddie could do. Something in his head had convinced him that he could not say the letter “W” – and each time he tried to say it – he began his old pattern. I think most of us are like that in some ways. We have many gifts and talents that we do not recognize – and what is holding us back is not our basic abilities – but our belief that we can’t do it.
Maybe this Kangaroo will lend me his ear?
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ear!”
Donkey Nuzzles!
What is YOUR "W"?
Comments (10)
Strategy and tragedy. I could say them as long as I wasn't reading them but to say them with the word printed in front of me was asking for trouble!
So your strategy was a tragedy?
I had a cousin who couldn't say 's' at the beginning of a word -- spoon would come out as 'poon'. We told him to hiss like a snake when he saw the beginning 's' -- he soon was able to say 'spoon' correctly!
silly me...i interpreted the question as what do think you cannot do that just might be possible if you believed you could...that list might take a while; not because there is so much i cannot do, but because the items on that list have changed so often over the years!
that is sweet and a good lesson for the students.
I hate that he thought they were laughing at him though. I think kids and me included laughed when we are uncomfortable.
what a thoughtful post Donkey Guy! My W's are aluminum and cinnamon...I tend to repeat the num and mons, but I didn't laugh when people made fun of me.
Aw.What a great post! Where is that darn rec' button?!
This is brought tears to my eyes...you are so right...we all have a "W" and most of us have more than one. And we need people to encourage us.
One of my brothers had a bad stutter as a child...and he grew up to be a public speaker.:-)
I have many "W"'s...but one that is similar to Eddie's is that I have trouble with words that have too many "L"'s.
I can't even say "Red leather, yellow leather" without my tongue getting tangled. People ask me to say it just so they can laugh at me. I'm used to it now.
I do a lot of tongue exercises (:-D) but it hasn't seemed to help.
Thanks for the donkey-nuzzles!
HUGS!!!
Applause. Every time I see the word applause I read apple sauce.
the times are late!
*donkeyfail!*
Hi, Donkey! Great post about Eddie. I'm sure I have a zillion "W's" - but it's late and my brain is fried from putzing around Xanga, trying to figure things out!
Kathi