Voice

Everyone in the world has a unique voice and also dislikes hearing their own. I am no exception to that truth. I have grown up my whole life with people pointing out the way I speak whether it be commenting on how I sound cute or just wanting to pick on me for it. I have a hard time pronouncing most words that start with “R” which usually ends up sounding like “W”. There are even multiple words that I struggle to pronounce with an “R” in general that is not at the beginning. Even now at the age of 24 I still have people commenting on how I speak, but thankfully everyone just assumes I have an accent from another state. I would like to tell a little bit about my story growing up with this struggle.

When I was in 8th grade I used to go to an after-school club with a bunch of my friends and take the late bus home. One of those days my best friend/sister also stayed after school that day and rode the bus home with me. We were inseparable and loved talking about every little thing we could think of that popped up in our heads. While we were talking there was a boy on the bus that overheard our conversation and asked me to say something. At the time I did not understand what he wanted me to say so I just asked him what he meant. He said that my voice sounded funny and that he wanted me to say something with a word that started with an “R”. Immediately I was uncomfortable and just stayed silent not wanting to speak at all and was fighting back tears. I am grateful that my best friend was there because she let him have it and made him feel awful for treating me so poorly.

Sadly, I was used to getting picked on like this throughout the years. Even my own family picks on me for the way I talk. Granted, I know that my family is only joking and that they do not mean it in a negative way, but it still hurts a little. I know my family loves me and I am sure they would quit messing with me if I spoke up about how it makes me feel, but I don’t. I have even had multiple customers when I worked in retail asking if I was from another state and were surprised when I said that I wasn’t. I try to practice my pronunciation when I am alone, but it is really difficult for me because I cannot get the mouth shape right for the letter “R”.

The purpose of this short story is not to receive pity but to show people with this same struggle that they are not alone. I have learned to deal with this problem the best I can and that as long as you have someone supporting you then it does not matter what anyone else thinks. There are times where I struggle to cope with how I talk whenever someone mentions it but thankfully it is rarely in a negative way. Like I mentioned before, most people I meet now just assume I am from a different state and that it is an accent and not a speech impediment. I plan on becoming an elementary school teacher and know that I will have to get through this struggle when teaching my future students how to pronounce the letter “R”. Maybe it will be a benefit, if I have students who struggle as well with the letter “R”, then we can work together to improve our pronunciation. Plus, at a young age, students are less likely to bully others because of their speech and just accept it as normal. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.