Speech Problems
At the age of 15 I had such a speech problem that I could not even say my own name (Sue). In the first grade I chose an advanced story to read to the teacher for the first time. In front of the whole class, she advised me that she did not know if I could read because she could not understand a word that I said. In the 6th grade, my principal pointed me out in front of the entire student body and told me that I could speak better if I tried. In high school, I would hear other students say "She's not deaf. She is just dumb." What people did not know--I could have finished High School in the 11th grade. I graduated from University of Montevallo with a degree in Speech and Hearing because I wanted to give back to the world what Children's had given me. Where would I be today if I had not gone to Children's for speech therapy? Can anyone imagine the low self esteem that I had? My parents had to drive me or put me on a Greyhound from Clanton to (before I-65) Birmingham twice a week for two years for me to learn to speak. TODAY I EARN MY LIVING BY TALKING. I WORK FOR THE PSC AS A CONSUMER SPECIALIST which means that I take complaints all day long against regulated utilities--AL Power, Alagasco, and etc. I investigate and try to resolve the complaints.
