Good Days

An Amazing Lady

Meet Annie Glenn, wife of former astronaut and senator John Glenn. How many times have I casually ignored her in pictures featuring her husband? Annie is an amazing lady who deserves attention in her own right for her accomplishments. Annie was born in 1920 and developed into a stutterer like her father. She was considered an 85% stutterer. For 53 years she struggled, unable to carry on a conversation, give directions to a cab driver, take her children to the emergency room or go shopping without someone to speak for her. In 1973 she enrolled herself in an intensive therapy program that changed her life. At 53 she found she could carry on a conversation and do all the things she'd never been able to do before. She blossomed and her new life began. Her stuttering is not gone but she's now able to control it. She had tried other therapies before the one in 1973 but had minimum results. She went through the 1973 program twice and continues to see a therapist twice a month at Walter Reed Hospital. She practices every morning on the telephone. There are signs next to her phone at home that say "Take a full breath, relax your throat, keep the sound moving." I've always admired John Glenn but I admire him even more now that I've learned Annie's story. He saw past his childhood sweetheart's stuttering and loved her anyway. He saw greatness in her. Look them up on YouTube and watch them talk about Annie's stuttering. Annie is 92 now and John is 90. What a couple, and what a life they've had together.