Where is all the talking?

When I started this blog I had the idea that I would be writing about walking and talking. What I have noticed, however, is that it is much easier to write about one than the other.

It is relatively easy to write about a walk or hike that I have taken. I just think back and hopefully the details come to me. I just need to remember the experience, the weather, the people. Anyone and everything involved can become part of the narrative. If I add a picture then there are “1000” more words that need not be said.

Writing about talking is weird. Don’t misunderstand. Talking is awesome. It is writing about it that is strange. If a conversation happened while I was walking(sort of the point of the blog) then I will invariably start writing about the walk itself. I am not a skilled enough writer to describe a conversation without it sounding static and far less interesting then it was. I’m not putting myself down. I am just aware of my strengths and weaknesses. However, like better grammar, it is a skill to work on.

Talking is a particular skill. It is another ability that everyone assumes most people have. The first word a child makes is met with excitement and calls to the relatives. But talking can be one of the most difficult challenges a child or adult can face. Just watch anyone struggling to learn a new language. The first meal I shared with my host family in France I accidentally told them I was pregnant instead of full. Dinner got very awkward until we were able to clear that up.

It isn’t always funny…

I have a rather sad memory that comes from the final meeting we had with the speech therapist that worked with my youngest. My daughter, who has Downs Syndrome, had been working with this specialist for several years. However, as she would be starting first grade soon, the allotted appointments were done. The two previous meetings had been mostly about evaluating her current level of speech.

The therapist’s evaluation was based on…”blah blah blah and blah”(honestly that is what I heard as I started to get a bad feeling in my gut). Her opinion was that our daughter would have limited speaking success and likely no more than 100 words in her vocabulary. Cue the sharp pain in my chest and the sudden lack of air in my lungs. The therapist clarified that “anything was possible but”…(honestly I don’t remember anything she said after that). I was literally speechless(no pun intended).

Upon reflection I am not really sure why her evaluation really bothered me so much. Much like the walking, I suppose it scared me to know that my daughter would be struggling with something so basic…and possibly forever. I wondered how it would affect her in life. Although language difficulties are often common with children with Downs Syndrome, I had somehow convinced myself that she would avoid this particular hurdle. Parents and their rose-colored glasses.

Now at 12 years old she is a talker(like her mom). It is definitely a work in progress and it can often be frustrating trying to make sense of her sometimes jumbled sentences. But there are definitely sentences. She knows what she is trying to say. It is our job to listen attentively and decipher. You just need to have context and a bit of practice. Also, I try not to get too caught up comparing her language skills to other kids in her class. Everyone has their strengths. I just know in my heart that she has a lot to tell the world and I want her to be able to do it. And she will…in her own time.

Meanwhile she uses her Echo and sings loudly to the Peaceful pop playlist. While Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran are her favorite singers, “Watermelon Sugar” is her go to song. Without any assistance at all she has found a fun way to improve her speaking skills. It is almost magical to hear her singing the words that she knows.

And the talking…

Well, I guess that is what I am doing now and, in fact, since the beginning of this blog. Instead of writing about conversations(which I will sometimes attempt to do), I will just continue to “talk” in this blog.

Sometimes you might find it interesting and other times no. That is just fine. My intention was never to entertain but more to document. If, by chance, I succeed at both…then even better!