Of a King who found his voice

This isn't strictly lolita-related, but it has to do with something lolitas might enjoy. Have any of my Ballroom guests seen the recently released movie, "The King's Speech"? If not, I highly recommend it. The film centers on King George VI, and it's filled with the sort of beautiful period dress and settings that lolitas (and goths) tend to love. However, I personally have another reason to love the film besides my love for England and historical movies.

I assume most of you have heard the movie synopsis by now, but anyway: King George VI stammered quite severely, and this made it very difficult for him to speak in public. He found an Australian speech therapist who was able to help him gain enough fluency to give speeches to England--quite a feat for anyone with a stammer (or stutter, as it tends to be called in the USA).

I don't know much about this part of history besides what I learned from the film, unfortunately, but it resonated with me in several really profound ways. All my life, I have stuttered, and my stuttering has often taken on the form of blockages (an inability to get sound out), similarly to the king's. I'm much more fluent now, but it's still an issue sometimes (now you know my secret reason for not rushing to do a vlog, though I wouldn't mind in the future).

Besides the accuracy of Colin Firth's portrayal of stammering, two things profoundly struck me in watching the film. One, it was the understanding and friendship of the king's speech therapist that helped him the most towards fluency--not a cure (there is none), but he does indeed "have a voice," in the sense that he can communicate.

Two, the final speech made an excellent climax to the dramatic arc (there's my writer side coming out), because the movie succeeded in portraying that speaking really is that scary and dramatic for people who stutter, whether in addressing a nation or ordering fast food. I feel that this film has not only shed light on the subject of stuttering, but really ennobled those who do--it's given us back our dignity, if you will. At any rate, do see the movie! And if you'd like to learn more about stuttering, let me give you a link to the National Stuttering Foundation's website.