speechifying
The biggest reason for our soon-to-be-made trip north is the parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Yes it's a cool thing. Yes much is being made of it and rightly so. Yes, there's all kinds of planning going on, and I'm on the sidelines, asking questions but not exactly in the center of the maelstrom. I'm also the oldest of four kids. Behind me, chronologically, is a sister and two brothers. The wife of the older of the brothers has taken on the organizational role, and informed me....mom and dad won't let us pay for the big party, so we're all taking some of the little things. We got the invitations, little brother is doing so and so (I can't remember what) and sister got the cake. We want you to make a speech.
A what???
A speech...you know, get up and talk.
Can't I get the cake?
Well, we tried to get your sister to do the speech, but she flat out refused, and said she'd get the cake.
Can I think of something else? How about a photographer? Do we have one of those yet?
Well, no we don't, and you get one, but can you do a speech too? You're good with words.
Well, I can sorta write 'em, but speaking them is another matter.
Then my brother got on the phone and said, I don't know what she has up her ass about this speech thing, but don't worry about it. He said he tried to tell her nobody needs to be reminded about how dad found all youngest brothers drug paraphenalia and threw it in the creek, and how many hours it took to retrieve it all, or sister trying to explain the scratches all over her back when she and her college boyfriend (now husband) returned from a camping trip. We aren't really in need of a trip down memory lane, because it ain't all sunshine and roses, but she's looking for a speech.
I don't know why I'm agonizing over it. I don't really have to do it at all, but I will (much more for my parents than for her need for a speech). I'm not much on public speaking. Several years ago, I taught a computer programming course at the local community college. They needed someone who could do it, and I was trying to overcome this fear of speaking in front of people. At least with programming, I knew the subject, so I thought I'd confront my fear. I did, and was terrified the first few classes, but it got better. In the long run, though, I don't know that it helped all that much.
I've written something, but lengthwise, it's more of a toast than a speech. Now I just have to memorize the thing (before next week) and do a decent job of delivering it. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
A what???
A speech...you know, get up and talk.
Can't I get the cake?
Well, we tried to get your sister to do the speech, but she flat out refused, and said she'd get the cake.
Can I think of something else? How about a photographer? Do we have one of those yet?
Well, no we don't, and you get one, but can you do a speech too? You're good with words.
Well, I can sorta write 'em, but speaking them is another matter.
Then my brother got on the phone and said, I don't know what she has up her ass about this speech thing, but don't worry about it. He said he tried to tell her nobody needs to be reminded about how dad found all youngest brothers drug paraphenalia and threw it in the creek, and how many hours it took to retrieve it all, or sister trying to explain the scratches all over her back when she and her college boyfriend (now husband) returned from a camping trip. We aren't really in need of a trip down memory lane, because it ain't all sunshine and roses, but she's looking for a speech.
I don't know why I'm agonizing over it. I don't really have to do it at all, but I will (much more for my parents than for her need for a speech). I'm not much on public speaking. Several years ago, I taught a computer programming course at the local community college. They needed someone who could do it, and I was trying to overcome this fear of speaking in front of people. At least with programming, I knew the subject, so I thought I'd confront my fear. I did, and was terrified the first few classes, but it got better. In the long run, though, I don't know that it helped all that much.
I've written something, but lengthwise, it's more of a toast than a speech. Now I just have to memorize the thing (before next week) and do a decent job of delivering it. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
John put this out here at 7:28 AM
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