Lifelong stutterer's website aims to encourage, empower others

When he speaks, however, the words don't come flowing out. They come out in stops and starts because of a lifelong stutter.

"It's something I recall from the age of 5. I kind of realized that my speech wasn't like anyone else's," Smith said.

He also understands that's something of an overstatement. He understands that other people stutter. And he believes they, too, have had to deal with a lot of the discomfort - and pain - he experienced growing up.

Smith, 32, believes they have stories to tell and started a website just for that. It's called StutterStories (stutterstories.com).

Smith had the idea. Casa Grande freelance Web designer Richard Rosales set it up and put it online. It has resources for people who stutter, like links to the National Stutterers Association and the Stuttering Foundation. But most of all, it's a website where people who stutter can sign in and tell their stories.

Smith's story starts in Florence, where he was born and raised. Though his stutter set him apart, he wasn't the only one. His uncle had a stutter, as did two of his cousins. His parents did what they could to help.

"I've seen speech therapists. I recall going to someone when I was younger," Smith said.

The stutter did not go away. He even struggled with his own name, Demetric. Growing up, he longed for something simple, like Mike.

His stutter followed him all through grade school and high school. Other kids didn't let him forget about it. Still, he played sports and did well in class - with one exception. He dreaded oral reports and presentations. And, after school, he avoided the one thing that teens' lives revolve around - the phone.

"I would not have thought of even making a phone call," he said. "One of my many fears: 'Am I going to be able to speak today? Am I going to be able to speak a full sentence?' "

Smith's stutter didn't keep him out of college. He went on to Central Arizona College and Arizona State University, where he majored in operations management. He continued to dread giving oral presentations, however. If the assignment called for speaking in front of class, he'd skip it and take a lower grade.

That was the old Smith. The self-conscious Smith. All that changed during his sophomore year in college. He finally decided to accept who he was.

"For the longest time, I was like, 'Why me?' Then one morning, I said, 'Why not me?' "

Smith added: "I think I had reached a point where I could no longer feel sorry for myself."

He concluded his stuttering was not going to hold him back.

Smith got his degree and for the past seven or so years has worked at Abbott Nutrition. He commutes to Casa Grande from Florence, where he still lives.

With his StutterStories website, he's hoping to connect to others who have dealt with stuttering and hear how they overcame their self-doubts - or help them do so.

"My goal is to have people log onto the site and share stories that will inspire and empower other stutterers to finally learn to be comfortable in their own skin," Smith said.

The site went up last month with help from Rosales, the Web designer.

"I wanted to help him as much as I could because I thought it was a good idea," Rosales said.

Smith is trying to get the word out about StutterStories.

As for his own story, he's come a long way from the teen who wouldn't talk on the phone. Just doing an interview for a newspaper article, he added, was a big step for him. These are challenges people who stutter can overcome. That might even include speaking in public.

"I just want people to know that they can have big dreams," Smith said.