The Dallas Chapter of the National Stuttering Association experienced an incredible milestone this month – their 40-year anniversary as a part of the NSA! To celebrate this remarkable achievement, former Dallas Chapter Leader Lee Reeves hosted a special reunion on Zoom with some of the original members of the chapter. From the comfort of their homes, the original members took us back to 1982 and shared how a lifetime of friendships, ups and downs, and a special bond had been made possible by their time together.
Among many topics discussed, we pulled a few highlights from their lively conversation below:
“Getting connected with other people who stutter, getting in that support system, it grounded it. It reminded me that it was ok, that I was a guy who stutters, and being around other people and being able to help in any little way I could, I found I got so much more out of those meetings than I ever gave.”
– Lee Reeves
“The shame never got dealt with. I had all the messages of shame, so my whole driver was to do something to bury the shame and avoid the humiliation. When I met the support environment of the NSA, one of the most tangible thing was that the moment I chose to speak, there was a room of 100% acceptance. It was the first time in my life that I had that experience of no shame, that I was able to express who I was and what I wanted to say. I had a lot of chances in my adult life to take part in other family support environments, I felt like I could be an ambassador for the NSA to other walks in my life, to alleviate that shame in others. To listen to others without an evaluation of judgement, sometimes people just wanted to heard. I was able to share the NSA model in other parts of life.” – Chris R.
Congratulations to the original Chapter Leader, Lee, current Chapter Leaders Sufian and Faisal, and the entire Dallas Chapter past and present for this outstanding achievement – an NSA first!