The Odd SLP

It's dawned on me that this is a very self-centered blog. Oh well. Haha...jj...but hey, it's used for reflection and on occasion, when I feel sentimental and stuff, a place where I can search under 'archives' and read about moments I felt were of interest for one reason or another, or a place where I can search for bits of information that I might need in the future, the someone once said moments.

I have come to accept that I'm not an average SLP. I don't laugh like one, talk like one or think like one. If you go to any rehab facility or conference, you can stop the SLPs immediately...just look for the smiling, bubbly talkative ones...there's a joke that goes around that we probably spend so much time trying to get other people to talk that whenever we get a chance to do so, we talk and talk and talk and talk ourselves out. SLPs put others at ease, it's part of the unofficial job description, cause after all, relating to others is part of communication. I love to go straight to the point (but am now practicing the fine art of talking like a professional), don't do the taking hints thing, am unkempt (no make-up, no matchy clothing...it's all about comfort dude), social graces and cues are not the first things that cross my mind, I find just being quiet in the company of others very peaceful and comfortable, and definitely do not laugh unless the jokes extremely witty or funny (although my social smile is making an appearance more often), am an introvert , and for the love of all things good, I cannot hide what I feel--so if I'm mad at you, you'd know without me knowing I told you so (although I do try sooo hard). Oh, and my syntax ain't that great either. For all the things I do in treatment, I think I self-therapize myself as well :) OK, I am an effective SLP though. I think I love the challenge more than anything else, seeing that I do best with the hard cases and ok with the typical ones. Well, maybe it just seems like I do ok with the typical ones cause well, you expect them to progress steadily and they do; and you never know how the hard ones will turn out and you rejoice with every bit of progress that they make.

Someone asked me what my long-term goals were...and I said if you had asked me approximately a year ago, I would have an answer for you (now that I think of it and count properly, it's more like 6 months ago), but today, the honest answer is I don't know.