So… I have a lisp.

It's on display in every single conversation. I can't hide it. I can't take a day off from it. It’s caused shame intermittently (from the usual childhood teasing/bullying that everyone experiences).

It’s yet another way I didn't fit the standard metrics for what a person should sound like. More evidence that something was “wrong” with me.

Then, I spent a couple of years digging into my own operating system; mapping my unique self, neurodivergence, autism, giftedness, whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I started to wonder: if my thoughts don't follow linear paths, if my processing is fundamentally different, why would I expect my speech to be "standard"?

The shift from "this is broken" to "this is a signal" happened as I understood myself more deeply each day. Even the parts that feel most limiting might be pointing toward something we haven't learned to value yet.

You can read more in the following article I published in January. It’s an 8-minute read.

I’m working on an audio version where my lisp will be included. ;)