Nineteen Years of Practice Saying Things Out Loud

For a long time, people had trouble understanding me when I talked.

I had four speech impediments. Until I was about twelve years old, a lot of people couldn't easily follow what I was saying. So I went to speech therapy. Not for a summer. For nineteen years.

I want to tell you what those years were actually like, because I think they explain a lot about why I'm running for Deschutes County Clerk.

Practice is not glamorous

Speech therapy is mostly repetition. You say the same sounds again and again. You get corrected. You try again. Most sessions don't feel like progress. You only notice the progress when you look back over years.

I also have autism, which I was diagnosed with as a kid, and later an ADHD diagnosis. I call the ADHD a blessing, because it gives me a lot of energy. But put all of that together and you get a kid who had to work harder than most just to be understood.

That work paid off slowly. Today I speak in public. I've hosted my own podcast. I've talked with voters while running for Bend City Council in 2024. And now I'm talking to people all over Deschutes County as a candidate for Clerk.

I'm not telling you this because I want sympathy. I'm telling you because it shaped the way I think about communication.

What it feels like not to be understood

When you spend years being hard to understand, you learn something most people never have to think about: being misunderstood is exhausting. You know what you mean. The other person just can't get there.

I think a lot of people feel that way when they deal with government. They have a question about their ballot, their property records, or a marriage license. They call or go online, and the answer comes back in language that doesn't make sense to them. Or it doesn't come back at all.

That's not the residents' fault. And usually it isn't the staff's fault either. It's a communication problem. And I've spent my whole life working on communication problems.

Why this matters for the Clerk's Office

One of my three priorities, from my statement in the voters' pamphlet, is clear, responsive communication with every resident. The other two are secure and transparent elections and easier digital access to public records and licensing.

For me, clear communication isn't a slogan. It means:

  • Explaining processes in plain language.
  • Answering questions instead of sending people in circles.
  • Making it easier to find information online, so people aren't stuck waiting.

I've done versions of this work before. When I managed housing, I helped residents find local programs that might help with rent. When I led a sales team, I taught people with no experience the whole process from scratch. In both jobs, the real work was making something confusing make sense.

What nineteen years taught me

The biggest lesson from speech therapy is simple: hard things get better with steady work. Not overnight. Steady work.

That's how I'd approach the Clerk's Office. Show up. Listen. Keep improving how we explain things, little by little, until residents notice it's easier.

I know my voice isn't perfect. It took me nineteen years to get it where it is. But I use it now, and I want to use it to help people in this county get clear answers.

The general election is November 3, 2026. Thank you for reading.

— Jon Curtis

Learn more: jonathancurtis2026.netlify.app

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