When I was a kid I had a problem. I was teased unmercifully for it by other kids because I could not say words correctly. Some kids and adults tried to "teach" me how to say the words correctly. This made me feel embarrassment and shame. It wasn't until I was in fifth grade that a speech therapist came into our room, walked from desk to desk and told each child to pronounce some words she had on a piece of paper. When she got to me, I did the best I could. A few days later, I was told I would be attending a speech therapy class. During each session, the therapist worked hard with each one of us trying her best to help us. I had trouble with words that started with "s"....my tongue went out between my teeth and my "s" words, like "sit" came out "thit". The words which started with "th" came out like "dat" because my tongue went behind my teeth. There were probably other words I mispronounced, which I cannot remember. The therapy, which had four other students besides myself, was successful for me. The kids no longer had a reason to tease me--at least not about this.

I think what I remember most about going through all that is the pain I experienced. A problem I had was consistently pointed out to me, in a somewhat cruel and joking manner. That is just kids and kids can be cruel, I know. Adults should know better--sometimes we don't.....

And as an adult, I have been corrected and made fun of for an equally embarrassing and humiliating problem that I have had with pronouncing certain words with my southern drawn out accent. Despite many attempts of adult friends and acquaintances, I still cannot pronounce words the "right" way in others' minds. I have been asked dozens of times "Where are you from?" sometimes followed by laughter. When I answer, I have sometimes been told...."No way, you can't be from there!" or told "You sound more like you are from__________" (fill in the blank, as I have been informed that I am from several different states as well as told things like "I don't know where the Hell you are from, but you sure talk funny!" Some folks have even tried to teach me the "right" way to say things. As I was trying to be liked by them and usually doing whatever I was told by whoever it was telling me, tried to change the way I pronounced words. "No, it's not beedddddd, it's bed....don't drag it out, just say it" is just one of the many comments I heard. Friends would call other friends over and say..."Listen to this..." then tell me to pronounce a word in front of their friend(s) that I just had said to them....which I did and which was usually followed by laughter.

Another problem I have had, as if my accent isn't enough, is that there are certain words I mispronounce. This has been a lifelong thing, and again, I have provided "entertainment" for quite a few people who have mocked me, ridiculed and teased me. I either add an extra letter, leave out letters, or just screw up the word in its entirety. I really don't know how I lived to be in my late 40's before I was told that "salmon" is not pronounced with the "l" and author is not prounounced "Arthur".  I hit the roof when my boyfriend felt the need to tell me to practice these words and say them over and over again. I felt like I was back in fifth grade in that speech therapy class. I was extremely angry at him at first, calling him a know-it-all and all other kinds of words I thought I could pronounce so I didn't give him more words to throw back in my face for me to "learn". He would continue to correct my mispronunciation of these words in a kind and loving manner. He didn't have the need to correct me in a harsh and mean manner. He was not being a "know-it-all" and he didn't have the need to "set me straight" like those kids as well as adults had done. He did it in a loving and kind manner without having the need to throw it up in my face that I didn't know as much as he did about something in my life I have struggled with. I am grateful to him. I went from cussing him out with my long "no one knows where I'm from" accent to being thankful that he cared so much to help me much like my speech therapist did when I was in fifth grade.

The "arthur" of the above is: ltr