I went to a high school reunion a looong time ago. My stuttering peaked in secondary school and as I’ve aged it’s become a less disabling thing unless I’m out of my wits. The women who approached me to tease about what a crush they had on me was jarring. They believed I didn’t like them because I never talked and usually avoided them. Of course I was avoiding the potential for mortifying embarrassment. Things worked out fine, i wouldn’t change a thing, but I wonder... would I have been more popular? Probably, but as a stutterer I learned how to be an expert listener and my empathy runs deep.