"6-9-6"

By Mike Hughes

Isn't it funny how life works?

If you bruise a finger or a toe, you can be sure that you'll bump that sore spot three or four times before it heals. Wake up to a severe stuttering day, and you'll be called on to do twice as much speaking as normal. Have one of those "dropsy" days, and your supervisor is right there to observe your every mistake. That's life!

Stutterers often have a list of feared words or sounds. This list is not carved in stone -- it seems subject to revision every other day. The fact that we do have a fear list is not too difficult to understand. If we experience failure 7 out of every 10 times over several months when we attempt to say "Hello," we soon learn to substitute with "Hi." Apprehension leads to substitution. When the feared word can not be substituted for -- such as saying our name or a specific number -- we become vulnerable to our most severe stuttering.

While attending university, I worked several years as a summer student for an electrical distribution utility. My position as a "gopher" required me to perform a range of duties, some in the office, some on the road. Due to the nature of the business, most of the company vehicles were equipped with a mobile radio. Of course, this was a source of fear for a young stutterer.

Since I worked in the branch office, we used the company vehicle assigned to the branch manager whenever it was available. Its vehicle number, and call number, was 696. If I was in the office and needed to communicate with the person currently using this vehicle, I would have to use the office radio to broadcast: "XOB92 Saint John calling mobile 696. XOB92 Saint John calling mobile 696. Do you read?" If I was using the vehicle and needed to speak to someone in the office, I would use the car radio to broadcast: "Mobile 696 calling XOB92 Saint John. Mobile 696 calling XOB92 Saint John. Do you read?" Guess what number caused me to stumble, stutter, and eventually fear? That's right, number 6-9-6. The fact that I was required to use the mobile radio almost daily, and frequently to mobile 696, served to imprint the apprehension about saying 6-9-6.

After I left university and joined the utility, I was transferred to Fredericton for about eight months. An opportunity for advancement came up and I transferred to Moncton. Meanwhile, the Saint John branch manager was promoted to manage the Moncton branch. Since he was familiar with his vehicle and comfortable with its drive, he took vehicle 696 to Moncton with him. The vehicle and I were, of course, assigned to the same office and I was back to the routine of using the mobile radio either to or from vehicle 696. It must have been fate!

My difficulty with the number 696 was reinforced by repeated use and repeated failure. Soon I was having difficulty with any situation requiring me to say "696" or "69" or "96" or "6" or "9" or any combination thereof. The more I came to fear these numbers, the more frequently they came up in conversation. Life does get difficult, don't it?

Life goes on...and, after several moves and several decisions, I arrived at this location with the phone number 696-6799. Come on, now! If there is a God, he certainly must have a warped sense of humor! I can't say my name, can't say "6," can't say "9," -- and now I have to leave a message on a telephone answering machine saying: "Please call Mike Hughes at 696-6799."! Life gets real difficult sometimes.

Fortunately, and I do attribute it to my involvement with Speak Easy, life improved. I can usually say my name. I can usually say "6" or "9" or "696." I can even say it on the telephone, which is extremely helpful since I am called upon to leave my name and number countless times every day. It may be Fate that has allowed me to overcome this obstacle, or it may have been the desensitization effects of repeated use. Whatever the reason, I'm happy with the results.

Isn't it funny how life works?