I’ll read your essay a little later. I took notice of some very good points. I didn’t take seriously advice given many years ago which I’m probably paying the price for now in the so called “golden years”. A very compassionate dean of a business school here in NYC not only advised me academically but laid the facts on the table. It was 1966 when he looked me in the eyes and said “you have a speech problem which is the first thing about you that anybody will notice” The more you try to mask it the deeper you will sink he said. The advice was when going for a job interview tell the interviewer that you have a speech impediment and ask that he/she be patient-and you will stutter less. Well so much for that. 51 years ago I fooled a gorgeous girl into believing I normal and we just celebrated our 50th anniversary. Covertness still works for this grandpa