February 21, 2014

A nasty shakeup and lessons learned.

Before pulling the curtain off the scene, let me tell introduce both the characters.Dr.Sachin srivastav is a household name in our TISA world.So. i will not irritate you guys by writing anything about him.And, late Dr.Joseph Sheehan is considered one of the most renowned speech therapist throughout the world.He plotted various breakthrough theories like stuttering ice berg and approach avoidance conflict.

Here comes the scene...remember it is a true one.

Today morning, Dr.Sachin called me over phone and asked me to see him at his home for some work and speech practice exercises.I reached there by some 30 min. delay.This is something I really have to work on.Anyways, after some small assignment at his home, we went to OPD (outdoor patient department where patients used to wait till they get their turn to see the doctors) in nearby Lehman hospital.

Generally, the scene used to be that Dr.Sachin would ask me to stand up infront of that crowd in OPD and ask me to give speeches over various topics ranging from my personal goals to my pofessional expertise etc.But, today he was having something different, actually notorious idea in his mind.Yeah...very notorious and courageous as well.He told me that today we are going to entertain this whole crowd with jokes based on stammering.

It was quite a weird thought at that time for me.Firstly, because how can I make fun of my stammering and make them laugh at it because in all of my previous shows at OPD, I used to teach them to listen to stammerers patiently and to support them. And,secondly, as it is a hospital so will it be appropriate that i crack jokes in front of them.

Anticipating that I am not comfortable with this idea, Dr.Sachin quickly came to rescue me by taking the lead.He stood in front of the whole crowd and crack a joke with louder pitch and stammered really gross that even I was looking at him with my mouth open that what this man is doing!!!!! For an instant, i was stunned because this level of acceptance was something i never imagined from anyone in this whole world.

Till now, I used to think that somewhat it was easy for Dr.Sachin to accept his stammering as he is in training and consulting profession from a long time so might be his stammering was never quite severe.But today, seeing him stammering pretty nastiest way but with very firm control and that he was able to laugh along with the audience.Wow!!!! an experience like never before.Today, all my self created doubts and uncertainties vanished and things are very crystal clear that this man have really rose to the level where people's reactions are not a matter of concern at all and he have completely accepted stammering...not only stammering but his overall personality and life whole hardheartedly.


Then, It was my turn and obviously that it was my duty and responsibility that I should give my shot honestly and not let him down.

We did it turn by turn and I can see him stammering really really severe manner but with control.So, really If we can have this much of courageous and control over our stammering, then stammering will dissolve like anything.

This incident reminded me of testimonials of a lot of stammerers counselled by Dr.Joseph sheehan that how late Dr.Joseph sheehan can stammer the most nastiest way but with full control and a smiling face afterwards.

So, although Dr.Sachin and Dr.Sheehan are not biological brothers but may be brothers in spirit - in my humble opinion.., kind of brothers in stammering world for sure because of their cohesion towards total acceptance approach towards stammering.


In spirit, in my humble opnion..

3 comments:

Manimaran said...

No one can match Sachin. He is a God father to all the pws in India.

Satyendra said...

Thanks Ashish - Of course Dr Sheehan was and is a great man, because he came up with rare and new insights on stammering - rather than just treating pws with old "established" therapies.. He actually tried to go to the heart of the matter instead of just treating the superficial symptoms in speech..
I think whatever we have done in TISA is a small tribute to great men like Sheehan, Van riper.. and let me add, Judy Kuster and Peter Reitzes to the list of great people who have inspired us - and me personally..
Actually, I just practiced a little Voluntary stammering - nothing more :-)

Satyendra said...
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