God knows why he made you the way you are

As we prepare to celebrate the International Stammering Awareness Day on Saturday October 22^nd 2011, a good story came to mind. My cousin Fred, claims to know me so well, better than any of my relatives. He had been admitted to Kenya Polytechnic where he had made many friends and even became a leader. He invited me for lunch and an afternoon drink just to see how he was making it. We met in town and walked into the college with him.

No sooner had we entered the gate than he heard someone call from the balcony, Otie (that was my high school nick name) then there was a shout of Onyatto and Kenyatta-Kenyatta, my student activist tag, we all had double names since the days of Miguna Miguna and Kabando wa Kabando. Where he thought he would introduce me to his friends, I was the one introducing him to his colleagues.

We sat down in the cafeteria to have lunch and Fred smiled shyly in his characteristic way. He squinted; he does this always before unleashing words of wisdom or utter nonsense (I also know him well.) “God knows why you have to stammer Kenyatta, if you had fluent speech you could have destroyed the world.” He said and patiently waited for my response. I laughed out loud, not in agreement of or lack of the same but at his wise observation.

What Fred did not know is that the stutter that he thought was holding me like a dog chain was responsible for unleashing me into a man of the people. Like everybody else, he has his own opinion on stammering. It is for this reason that we come together every year to celebrate this condition that is still a medical mystery.

According to Fred, God made you short, fat or short sighted, for your own good and the good of mankind. I would not say so of stammering, because it is only those of us living with it who know what it takes. We invite you to come and share with us, as we seek to change perceptions.

Al Komaroff said, “If you can’t communicate well, you’ll never participate fully in society… overall your career and relationships will be below your potential.