I’m sorry you went through this. I stutter. I’ve stuttered my whole life. Like you I didn’t know where it came from. I only realized I stuttered when I was told I stuttered. Then that’s ALL I heard. I went from socially active to a hermit. I had to be driven out of the house at times. I felt like the most unlucky kid on earth. We moved a lot when I was young. New schools, new neighborhoods, new kids to interact with. Kids are cruel sometimes. The first few months were always like gladiator academy. Everyone wanted to have a go at me. I was a tough kid and I could handle them for the most part but it was the last thing I wanted to be doing. After a while I would find a niche. But then we’d move again. It was difficult. I found a respite by beating people to the punch. When I introduce myself I tell whoever it is that I stutter. So it’s no surprise when it happens. And it happens a lot. Blocks, repetitions, everything in the repertoire. I try to send the message that I’m confident and I’m not ashamed of it. People kinda seem to respect it in a way. At least it puts them at ease and they don’t have to act like it’s not happening. Growing up I found that if I could be funny or by making fun of my stutter it puts people at ease. They see I’m ok with it then they can be ok with it. The only thing is I’m not always ok with it. Stutters live in a world that a tiny few can relate to. People can simply not imagine the frustration and the compromises we make and have to endure. Rarely are we given praise for our courage. We have to do that for ourselves. I’m glad you asserted yourself with the power you have. Please continue to make justified choices and only deal with helpful and supportive staff or companies. A sales operation is sensitive to critique and it’s valuable to do so. Some have said I can be particularly imposing if I’m messed with about my stuttering. I’m a below average height middle aged gender-fluid AMAB person. It difficult to see what would be imposing. I will admit something still clicks in my mind when it happens. Perhaps it’s that. I’m glad I’ve learned to like myself well enough to not feel I have to defend against every immature creep making fun. Keep your peace and just keep trucking. 🤟