On boulevards which separate the two directions with about 2 meters of grassy area and a fence in the middle.. People that will cross one lane (direction) and then walk in the middle, in mud/water/grass until they reach a gap in the fence to cross.

People that not only take my parking space in front of my house when I’m not at home, but also park in front of the damn driveway gate so I can’t put my car in the driveway. NOT what I want to come home to after a day at the office.

Not really a pet peeve, but I really lose it when someone irks me about my stuttering.

I hate it when people are late. I can be on time. So can you. Being late is a sign of disrespect. I don’t care if it’s “your one fault”, “you can’t help it”, or anything else. If I can be out the door an hour early just to be there on time (if not 10 minutes early), so can you. No other way around it.

I definitely agree on the thing about people that are too easily offended. Grow a pair and get a life. Exactly the same about overzealous political correctness. Gets on my nerves.

Littering.

General lack of manners.

“Street Racers” that only want to “race” against cars that are obviously, obviously slower. Last night a douchebag in a brown-gold Audi A8 wanted to race my Leon Diseasel. He was faster, obviously, but decided to drive 20km/h so that I’d try and overtake and he’d accelerate. He did it once. I slowed down behind him, turned on my high-beams (Osram Nightbreakers ftw) and foglights and stuck behind him for a few minutes. He fucked off eventually.

Tightwads. During my postgraduate studies I had a flatmate that was incredibly tight. She put on those sticky plastic tower hangers in the bathroom to hang her towels. When it was time to leave, she actually unstuck them and took them with her. Also, it was crucial that the phone bill was 69.90 euros, and not 70, as I had told her. *facepalm*

People that do not have the courtesy to apologize when they’ve fucked something up. Own up to your shit.

People, that on a traffic light will wait for the light to actually turn green before they even attempt to get the car in gear. Especially annoying with older cars that have wonky gearboxes and it takes a few attempts to get first. Your pathetic carelessness just wasted 10 of the 20 seconds that the light is green.

People that have their indicators on while being IN THE LANE to turn left. Yes, I know you’re turning left. Now you’re just blinding me and your stupid ass indicator will be flashing in my head for the next 20 minutes.

People that will keep their foot on the brake pedal on the intersection. If the thing is on a slope, use your handbrake. Don’t blind me in the back. Especially annoying with newer cars that have LED taillamps and are especially bright.

People that don’t use indicators when changing lanes. Yes, I’m psychic. I know exactly when you want to turn left.

People that brake for rainbows. W00t, everyone loves being rear-ended.

People with LEDs in the windscreen washers. Awesome.

Ooh ooh, forgot one! People that have misaligned headlamps. Seriously, if you can’t do it yourself, take it to a service garage, they’ll probably do it for free. And you won’t blind people.

Dear god, I’m on a roll..

But otherwise, I’m a happy motherfucker.

Click to make it bigger. :)

Good night. :)

1) Who are you, how old are you and where are you from?
I’m a 24 year old Software Engineer from Skopje, Macedonia. I have a BSc in Computer Science and an MSc in Software Engineering & Telecommunications. I’m currently interested in software product management and interface development.

2) When did you first noticed you’re stutter?

I guess the earliest memory of me stuttering I have is from when I was about 5 years old.

3) How did your family respond to it?

My family has always been very supportive. They’ve helped me deal with my stuttering and always supported my efforts to better my speech.

4) How did you handle school with your fluency? How did your teachers view it? Did it affect your schooling/grades?

In primary school it was an issue. Being a scrawny, skinny kid that stutters I was bullied and harassed. Teachers (at least here in Macedonia) didn’t really care enough to give any attention to it.

In high school and during my university studies it was a whole new world. People were respectful and understanding, and mostly patient. Some of my professors in high school (during the first few days/weeks, while they still didn’t know me or the condition that I have) were a bit impatient and thus some awkward scenes happened, but otherwise, there were no problems. A lecturer even allowed me to have written instead of oral exams.

5) Have you ever received therapy for your stuttering? If yes, do you believe it helped?

Yes, I have received therapy. A few years ago I went to see a speech therapist with which I had regular (twice a week) sessions. We covered breathing techniques, general issues, reading out loud, etc. I believe that it certainly helped me understand (if not by what the therapist told me, but by what I grasped over time) my condition.

6) Does anyone in your family stutter?

No.

7) How has your speech affected your life?

I used to hold my stuttering as a real crutch. I felt inadequate, unworthy to speak and generally I was very introvert. However, over time, thanks to the understanding of my family, my friends and lecturers I was able to transform my “disability” into something of my own. I no longer see my stuttering as a “disability” but rather as something that uniquely describes me. I won’t even go as far as to call it a flaw. It might be, but ultimately, it is something that is a part of me. It’s a part of what makes me whole and defines me as a person. I would not be the same, have the same outlooks on life, the same compassion if it were not for my stuttering.

Interestingly enough, it was Scatman John’s music that also helped me deal with my stuttering quite a bit.

I never let my stuttering get in the way of my academic past, and I’m really thankful to my university lecturers for having the patience.

8) How has it affected you in communicating in relationships, whether it be professional (job, career) or personal (relationships, dating).

While younger, I was very held back and shy. But nowadays I have no issues when it comes to communication. I still feel a bit nervous and feel a certain degree of tension when I’m about to speak with a higher authority figure or in front of a group of people, but I’ve managed to control my stuttering to a good degree. When it comes to relationships, I believe that when one looks at stuttering as an attributive characteristic instead of a defining one, it’s no different than having blond hair instead of brown, or blue eyes instead of black. What I’m trying to say is that, it doesn’t really matter, and my girlfriend has been very supportive over the past few years that we’ve been together. She’s very understanding and has made it a point to always be patient with me, and understand what it means when I start stuttering. Thank you babe!

9) What advice would you give to other people who stutter?

Only we stutterers really understand what stuttering really is. Don’t let anyone tell you what the cause is. People will try to push the idea of fast talking, fast breathing or something in that vein being the cause of stuttering, but we know that it isn’t. Understand that your stuttering is not a disability, but a characteristic. It’s an attribute. It’s not a crutch, it’s part of you. Accept it as such and you will not only feel much more at ease with yourself, but others will also feel at ease around you. Make fun of it yourself and allow those closest to you to make fun of it as well. It’s very liberating.

Only when you accept your stuttering as something that is normal and as something that is truly your own, will you be able to control it.

Make: SEAT
Model: Leon
Year: 2004
Engine: 1.9 Litre Turbodiesel
Power: 110 hp
Torque: 235 n/m
Fun: Lots!

Now, some of you know that I stutter. Not much, but I do. It used to be worse when I was younger and I was very conscientious about it. I’ve taken quite a bit of flack about it from kids when I was younger and it affected me in a number of ways. Nowadays I’ve accepted it as a part of me, and it doesn’t bother me. However, I suppose I am qualified to answer this question and I’ll try to give it my best.

Now then..

1. Don’t finish my words or my sentences - It’s very simple, just don’t do it. I hate it when people do it, especially people that I see for the first time. It makes me feel inadequate, as if I’m not worthy to talk, and as if the person has the right to speak in my name. Plus, the person finishing my sentence will most likely get it wrong.

2. Have patience with me. Some times I’ll get too excited or I’ll try to say something in a hurry, and I’ll get stuck on repeat. It’s slightly embarrassing for me, so let me say it my own way.

3. As a given rule, I almost always think before I talk, and choose words that I know are easier to say, or there is a lesser chance for me to get stuck. Don’t think I don’t know the word. I select my words very carefully.

4. DO NOT tell me to breathe slowly, slow down, relax or anything in that vein. Stuttering is not caused exclusively by speaking fast, breathing fast, simply being nervous or any other definition that anyone has told you. Sometimes it’s a single thing, sometimes it’s a combination of things, sometimes it’s neither of these things. By telling me what to do, you assume that you know more about this condition than me, and let me be very clear - you do not.

5. Each stutterer has a different set of words (or sounds) that he/she will get stuck on. I’ve come to realize that I get stuck more often on words that begin with the letter L or P.

When you notice someone with a stutter, be patient. A quick note for teachers - if you have a student that stutters, they will be extremely grateful if you offer them the chance to substitute an oral exam with a written one, if possible. I had a single professor that did this for me in high school, and I will be eternally grateful.

Now, I should be very clear - I have accepted my stuttering as a fact of my life. It’s not something I’m embarrassed by, but it does sometime make me feel uneasy, as I said, especially around people that I don’t know. Around my friends it’s different - my friends are very close to me, and I will even take jokes about it - because simply, they’re not laughing at me, they’re laughing with me. I make jokes on my own account too, and it feels good - it’s what most likely helped me get through it. Sometimes they will take it a bit too far, but I don’t hold it against them.

If any stutterers stumble here looking for help, I’ve found that deep breathing, reading out loud, recording and listening to my own voice to identify trouble spots and a positive outlook have helped me the most. Should anyone need further advice, please, get in touch..

And if anyone actually reads this, do you stutter? Do you know anyone that does? What are your experiences?

EDIT: Just because Scatman John was awesome!

I have to say that Scatman John’s music helped me deal with my stutter. For those of you that don’t know, the sounds that he made, he made by stuttering. He took his condition and turn it into an art form. It showed me that for every downside there’s an upside.

I’m thinking about the past quite a lot. About my days spent in Greece. I honestly miss those times. Yeah, there were hard times, pressure from uni obligations, self-inflicted nervousness and sometimes general melancholy, but overall, those were great times. I met some genuinely good, generous and caring people (shout out to Dim, Jovan & Anton), people that are my friends to this day, people I know that I would do anything for, and I’m sure they’d do anything for me.

I grew up over those few years.. I learned to take care of myself, do my own chores, clean up after myself and most importantly, I learned how to give myself a much needed reality check sometimes.

Yet, somehow, lately, I constantly feel like everything is waaay over my head. I guess it’s just a very strange.. or rather, difficult period. Alongside pressure and looming deadlines at work, I’m also dealing with a number of issues-of-the-personal-kind, and at times feel like I’m losing my grip, my self control. I find myself being a lot louder, a lot more volatile than I should be. And I don’t like myself when I become like that..

I’m just checking out my archives here, and I seem to have a few posts that I’ve never published. I used to write here quite often, and it helped me vent my stress and my anxiety. The posts I haven’t published are just that, posts that I’ve started to write, but never got to publish. They’re there, a small reminder of my.. I don’t know.. complacence.

Anyway.. Important things now! I’ve got a new car! And E and I are going on a road trip tomorrow! I can’t wait!

Also, a quick tip to random_monkey. He’s provided my background tune for the past couple of days.. Check out Rain Today, and give the rest of his stuff a listen too..