"Thandra" Anonymous

"The thnake thlithers in the garden."

My grammar teacher's smile flickered. My eight year old self beamed proudly. Somehow, by words spoken and unspoken, this moment marked a death. A call was made to my parents in hushed, urgent tones. Sombre conversations were held with my teacher across brick-red school desks. Sandra, the brazen child, disappeared and 'Thandra', the girl with a lisp, was born.

The remainder of my primary education was defined by speech therapy and the fear of being taunted whenever I spoke. When I selected Public Speaking as my mandatory activity in the ninth grade, I did so because I ironically expected to be ignored, thereby allowing my fears to remain unchallenged. However, seeing my classmates express themselves freely and confidently pushed me to re-consider my paradigms. I realized that my so-called speech defect could be a strength. By making a concerted effort to pronounce my words correctly, I had become very thoughtful about the meaning and effectiveness of said words. I mustered the courage to ask the co-ordinator of the Public Speaking club whether I could participate in the next Assembly debate. I researched my topic and taught myself methods to combat 'tongue anxiety' but neither of these...