On January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, a baby boy was born to parents who would end up being more absent than present in his life. At the tender age of 5, the boy moved to Jackson, Michigan to be raised by his grandparents on their farm.
The change of life from Mississippi to Michigan was so disturbing for the young boy that he developed a stuttering problem. Upon entering school, his stutter became worse, causing him to become self-conscious and shy around his peers.
It progressed to the point where the boy decided to stop talking at school altogether to protect himself from the harsh scrutiny of his classmates.
The child held his silence for 8 years. Consequently, he was labeled a "functional mute."
Then, in his first year …show more content…
Could you imagine that? For 8 long years, you decided that you were no longer going to speak at school. Your teachers up to this point just continued to pass you along because you could do the work. But you never asked a question. You never answered a question. You didn't talk with classmates. You just sat there quietly watching as your peers excelled with their social skills. They made friends. They created groups and you stood on the outside of them all, never uttering a word.
You grow comfortable in your silence and instead of speaking, you write. You begin to write poems and you get quite good at it. Then, you come face-to-face with a teacher who takes interest in you. Who decides that the words you write are too beautiful to be left on the page. And that you will speak them aloud in front of the class.
This young man, was going to have to find some serious courage. Despite the anxiety or fear that problem may present, whether real or made up in his mind, he would have to call on that willingness and mindset to take action against his silence.
Despite a common belief, courage is not about being fearless. In Dr. Richard Zinbarg's article for Psychology Today, he talks about the book Fear and Courage by Stanley Rachman. Dr. Zinbarg summarized Rachman's point of view on anxiety and courage
The change of life from Mississippi to Michigan was so disturbing for the young boy that he developed a stuttering problem. Upon entering school, his stutter became worse, causing him to become self-conscious and shy around his peers.
It progressed to the point where the boy decided to stop talking at school altogether to protect himself from the harsh scrutiny of his classmates.
The child held his silence for 8 years. Consequently, he was labeled a "functional mute."
Then, in his first year …show more content…
Could you imagine that? For 8 long years, you decided that you were no longer going to speak at school. Your teachers up to this point just continued to pass you along because you could do the work. But you never asked a question. You never answered a question. You didn't talk with classmates. You just sat there quietly watching as your peers excelled with their social skills. They made friends. They created groups and you stood on the outside of them all, never uttering a word.
You grow comfortable in your silence and instead of speaking, you write. You begin to write poems and you get quite good at it. Then, you come face-to-face with a teacher who takes interest in you. Who decides that the words you write are too beautiful to be left on the page. And that you will speak them aloud in front of the class.
This young man, was going to have to find some serious courage. Despite the anxiety or fear that problem may present, whether real or made up in his mind, he would have to call on that willingness and mindset to take action against his silence.
Despite a common belief, courage is not about being fearless. In Dr. Richard Zinbarg's article for Psychology Today, he talks about the book Fear and Courage by Stanley Rachman. Dr. Zinbarg summarized Rachman's point of view on anxiety and courage