I noticed you said “a lot recently” so just going to assume this is something you bring up to people often. It’s like with anything else — people often discount what they take for granted (in this case, fluency). Unfortunately we can’t expect people to validate our experiences, with stuttering or with anything else. Getting people to understand the challenges of not being able to speak is a hefty challenge, explaining that it is a disability is a whole other. Our experiences are real and true, and we are the only people who can own them. It would be fabulous if people were empathetic, kind, and could understand — but they have the luxury of not knowing… and my, what a luxury that is. Don’t get blue in the face trying to show them the light — they won’t see if they don’t want to. I was a maid of honor for someone’s wedding, and couldn’t make a speech for obvious reasons. We talked about it and she was very accepting, but cited three separate times that she knew I didn’t like public speaking. I corrected her *all three times* and said I actually would love to speak publicly, but I physically cannot, as when I open my mouth, no words come out. I explained it was neurological. It was a telling moment for me — it’s difficult to consider oneself close to people who ignore such a blatant struggle we have.