Keith Calling..

My
very dear TISA friends,

Many
journeys are planned in advance. Some journeys do not start, because
there are no people willing or able to take that very necessary first
step. Until 2006 there was no effective central place in India for
people who stammer to get together to talk about issues in every day
life relating to stammering and ask for help. Some of you took part
in the yahoo group IndianPWS. But many Indians emailed the
International Stuttering Association (ISA) and other National
Associations (BSA, NSA etc.) asking for help. In 2006, the vision of
The Indian Stammering Association (TISA) was formed. In five and a
half short years you have moved from the yahoo group, IndianPWS
(still going strong), to holding a National Indian Conference linked
with the IHS. Outstanding.

I
am currently in America helping my daughter and American husband to
look after my almost 3 year old granddaughter and 1 month old
granddaughter. While I hold the baby in my arms I have time to
reflect on the growth of her older sister in the last 3 years. This
leads me think of similar growth patterns of TISA and the majority of
people who stammer. People who stammer hope and expect others to help
us. We take time to learn and accept that we are in charge of and
responsible for our own destinies. We are the only ones who have our
poor experiences because of our personal level of communication
skills and we are the only ones able to do anything to improve these
skills. We also need to learn that the reason for some things going
wrong in our lives is not always our stammer.

For
people who stammer, the stages of growth start with knowing we have
poor communication skills; wanting to improve our communication
skills; seeking knowledge to help ourselves; then using the knowledge
(practice, practice, practice….) to improve our communication day
by day and having fun in the process.

For
TISA, the stages of growth started with understanding that Indian
stammerers needed to step up to the challenge and build a support
center for Indians in India, TISA (the first Indian website began
the process); then taking the next crucial step of introducing the
idea of people who stammer meeting together and starting Self Help
Groups (Sachin, a new coordinator; a new website; a new blog; and
self help groups starting in different cities); increasingly provide
more knowledge and start to provide effective affordable treatment
courses which include lots of fun things to do; stimulate SHGs to
meet face to face; stimulate SHGs to help to provide a National
Conference or two or three; stimulate SHGs to help to provide a Asian
Regional Conference or two or three (future); stimulate SHGs to help
to provide a World Conference(future).

You
have now arranged your first National Conference. This is brilliant.
I hope everyone enjoys meeting other people and talking (not typing
an email or blog entry). Meeting face to face and talking is such a
rewarding experience. The volume of sound produced by stammerers who
meet and talk is amazing. A first conference is something people
remember the rest of their lives. At the conference therapies and
experiences will be shared and many new friends will be made. There
are always new things to learn and knowledge is the best way to find
out which of the many techniques will help each of us on our own
personal journey to better communication. One of the most basic
techniques is to ignore the words (only 7% of communication), and to
concentrate on all the other aspects of communication (93%). However
each attendee of the conference needs to listen, watch, learn and
then decide whether to use any of the new things talked about.

I
have met some of the people who will be at the conference. You will
have a long journey to Bhubaneswar,
Orissa. Think of the journey as part of your holiday at the IHS
center. I
wish you all an adventurous and happy Indian Conference. I am with
you in spirit and will be thinking of you all. Laugh, smile, have fun
and enjoy yourselves.

May
the sun shine in all your hearts,

Keith
(from the UK)