Lipe White Wheat Leapers Anonymous

"S-P-H-E-R-I-C-A-L," I declared. Flashing a grin to the 600-person audience, I glanced at the ink stains dotting my clasped hands. These hands had suffered for months practicing obscure words from the dictionary. One person away from winning the county bee, I felt destined to continue to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. A sharp "Ting!" rang, interrupting my daydream. I heard a judge proclaim, "The correct spelling is S-P-H-E-R-I-C-A-L." The glaring stage lights taunted me, and I watched confusion overtake my parents' faces. I had pronounced the R in "spherical" as an L: "S-P-H-E-L-I-C-A-L." Simmering tears gathered in my eyes. Scurrying off the stage, I crumpled up my participatory ribbon.

Although that spelling bee happened four years ago, it serves to remind me of my uniqueness. I have lived in Southern Asia and on a Mediterranean Isle, resulting in my peculiar accent. This amalgam creates my lisp of the letter R, which has often singled me out from my peers.

In elementary school, a speech pathologist made me see this lisp as a disability.

"Ripe white wheat reapers reap ripe white wheat right," I'd say.

"Again!" she'd relentlessly respond.

With less determination, I'd repeat "Ripe white wheat reapers reap ripe white wheat...