I had a chance to travel to Canada a few days back. To Quebec. Where they speak French. I studied French in high school for almost all four years (that’s another story). I don’t speak French on a daily basis. But I know enough to get by, and I really enjoyed seeing all the signs in French. I had this plan in my head that when we “went around the room” I would introduce myself in French, say that I stutter (in French!) and then a few more things. It was going to be great. And impressive. And all that. I could take my advertising attitude and put it to good use in a foreign language.

This did not happen.

Most of the time what happens with introductions is that you slowly go around the room. People are settled and focused. They are listening. It’s early in the day, and you need to know who’s there. That’s what I was used to, and I thought it would be a similar environment.

Instead, the mood was very casual, a small group of people, and a feeling that we should just say our names and titles and that’s it. The leader of the discussion did this while sitting down, so I started to feel that a long intro wasn’t in the cards. My coworkers did a similar thing, no saying a full work background or anything.

I followed suit.

In English.

I genuinely didn’t feel like I was avoiding or being covert. I kept it short, and I didn’t say anything about stuttering. I was trying to adjust to the room. I think in some ways it was good – I don’t want to get too far with advertising where I believe it’s always the answer. I want to be tuned into what the group dynamic is and how I fit in. Will I be speaking a lot (not really)?

That being said, I still felt kind of meh about the whole thing. I had things prepared! I wanted to practice. Fortunately I got my chance the next day in the break room. I was able to speak to one of the attendees in French, and he appreciated it. Another coworker overheard this and said something to me about it later in the day – prompting more French speaking. So while I didn’t necessarily speak on my own terms or schedule, it did happen. I think being open to it and finding a time that was appropriate also helped me feel more comfortable. And it was a good reminder that sometimes plans change.